Telehealth—Improving access for rural, regional and remote communities

O’Kane, Gabrielle

doi:10.1111/ajr.12663

Cited by 18 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They also reported on the perceived privacy integral to meeting online rather than in person. These findings were in accordance with previous studies that found that patients were more likely to choose telehealth appointments over traditional consultations due to its convenience ( 24 , 61 ). In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients felt it was safer to meet online rather than having to risk exposure to COVID-19 virus.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Telehealth to the Rescue During COVID-19: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Investigating Patients' Perception

Al‐Sharif

Almulla

AlMerashi

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The onset of the pandemic necessitated abrupt transition to telehealth consultations. Although there is a few tools that gauge the patients' perception about their experiences, none of them are contextualized to an emergency in the Middle East and North Africa region. Accordingly, this study aims at developing and validating a tool to address this gap, and deploying it to assess the patients' perception of telehealth services during COVID-19 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).Methods: A convergent mixed methods design was adapted. A random selection of 100 patients from Dubai, UAE were invited to participate. Qualitative and quantitative datasets were collected using a tailor-made survey. The qualitative data, collected through open-ended questions, was analyzed using multi-staged thematic analysis. As for the quantitative data, it captured the patients' extent of satisfaction, and was assessed using SPSS (with a series of descriptive and inferential analyses). The qualitative and quantitative findings were then merged via joint display analysis.Results: Out of the 100 patients that were randomly selected, 94 patients participated in this study. The reliability score of Cronbach's Alpha for the instrument was 98.9%. The percentage of the total average of satisfaction was 80.67%. The Principal Component Analysis showed that 88.1% of the variance can be explained by the instrument (p < 0.001). The qualitative data analysis expanded upon the quantitative findings enabling a better understanding of the patients' perception. Three themes, revolving around the quality of the patient telehealth experiences, surfaced: “Factors that worked to the benefit of the patients,” “Factors that the patients were not in favor of,” and “Opportunities for improvements as perceived by the patients.”Discussion: This study introduced a novel patient satisfaction with telehealth consultation survey contextualized to the COVID-19 times in Dubai, UAE. The participants were quite satisfied with the quality of their experience, however they suggested areas for improvement. Regional healthcare decision-makers can leverage the identified advantages and opportunities for improvement of telehealth. This will enable making informed decisions regarding the continuity of telehealth irrespective of how matters unfold in relation to the pandemic. It will also better prepare the healthcare sector for potential resurgence(s) of COVID-19 and/or the occurrence of other similar emergencies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Telehealth to the Rescue During COVID-19: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Investigating Patients' Perception

Al‐Sharif

Almulla

AlMerashi

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Awareness around recognizing and managing cognitive health concerns is comparatively lacking, and implicates a need for further promotion, particularly in vulnerable subgroups such as students. Pandemic control measures such as physical distancing and social isolation have only further emphasized the utility of digital technology-based tools and interventions for health and wellbeing among the general population, in addition to specific cohorts such as university students ( Harith et al, 2022 ), individuals with dementia ( Bird and Lim, 2022 ), and rural, regional, and remote communities ( O’Kane, 2020 ). Such resources (e.g., audio-visual telehealth platforms, smartphone applications, web-based forums or groups) are useful in connecting individuals to information, self-help strategies, health professionals, or peers, during periods of lockdown or restricted access.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive concerns in Australian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionCoronavirus (COVID-19) instigated unprecedented global effects on healthcare systems, economies, employment, education, travel, and social lives. In addition to increased mental health challenges, pandemic restrictions have triggered emerging cognitive concerns. University students are at particularly high risk of adverse lockdown-related effects, yet despite the substantial adaptions to learning necessitated by COVID-19, limited research has so far focused on the cognitive consequences of the pandemic among university students. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the nature, prevalence, and correlates of subjective cognitive concerns among 972 students (Median age = 22 years, 70% female) enrolled at Monash University, Australia, in December 2020.MethodsStudents completed the online THRIVE@Monash survey, 5 weeks following prolonged lockdown in Melbourne. Using group comparisons and hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses, we examined associations between demographic and enrolment characteristics, COVID-19-related experiences and impacts (author-developed questions), self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms (PROMIS Anxiety and Depression scales), and students’ perceived changes in everyday cognitive functions (author-developed questions).ResultsOver 60% of students reported subjective cognitive concerns (SCCs). After controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms, students reporting more SCCs were more likely to be younger, from White/European ethnic backgrounds, and in their first year of undergraduate study. No differences in SCCs were found between male and female students. Greater worry, anxiety, or stress related to COVID-19 (e.g., infection, leaving the house, hygiene and exposure prevention, impact on physical and mental health), and time spent reading or talking about COVID-19, were generally not associated with SCCs after controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms.DiscussionThese findings highlight vulnerable subgroups of students who might benefit from regular monitoring, education, and interventions to support their cognitive health during the pandemic and beyond. In addition, cognitive concerns may provide additional insight into mental health problems among students, and emphasize the importance of understanding factors that impact students’ long-term academic and career success.

show abstract

“…Access to specialist palliative care, including Needs Rounds, should be available to all RAC residents regardless of their location. Telehealth has the potential to provide access to specialist services, including Needs Rounds, where local resources are limited by distance (rural, remote and developing countries) or restricted during local infectious disease outbreaks or pandemics 6,8,19‐21 . Globally, the rapid uptake of telehealth, spurred by COVID‐19, was embraced by clinicians, consumers and health services 22 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Telehealth has the potential to provide access to specialist services, including Needs Rounds, where local resources are limited by distance (rural, remote and developing countries) or restricted during local infectious disease outbreaks or pandemics. 6,8,[19][20][21] Globally, the rapid uptake of telehealth, spurred by COVID-19, was embraced by clinicians, consumers and health services. 22 The acceptance of, and satisfaction with telehealth reported by the RAC staff in this study, is consistent with the findings of a recent literature review.…”

Section: Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of telehealth palliative care Needs Rounds in rural residential aged care during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A hybrid effectiveness‐implementation study

Rainsford

Dykgraaf

Phillips

2021

Australian J Rural Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Telehealth—Improving access for rural, regional and remote communities

Cited by 18 publications

References 3 publications

Telehealth to the Rescue During COVID-19: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Investigating Patients' Perception

Telehealth to the Rescue During COVID-19: A Convergent Mixed Methods Study Investigating Patients' Perception

Prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive concerns in Australian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Effectiveness of telehealth palliative care Needs Rounds in rural residential aged care during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A hybrid effectiveness‐implementation study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About