Telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation medicine: A survey of clinician reported utilization and experience

Abstract

PURPOSE: Telehealth services have been touted to improve access to specialty pediatric care. COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of telehealth across many medical specialties. The purpose of this study was to examine telehealth utilization and satisfaction among pediatric physiatrists. METHODS: Using Google Forms, a voluntary survey was created and administered to pediatric physiatrists. The survey collected information on practice setting, telehealth utilization, provider satisfaction, perceived satisfaction of patients and families, and the anticipated role of telehealth in pediatric rehabilitation going forward. RESULTS: Seventy-eight respondents completed the survey. There was a significant reported increase in telehealth utilization since COVID-19 from 14.5% to 97.4%. Eighty-two percent of participants reported feeling comfortable utilizing telehealth, 77% felt confident in the quality of the care provided, and 91% believed patients were satisfied with telehealth visits. Responses indicate that telehealth is expected to play a role in future pediatric physiatry and interest in telehealth continuing medical education is prevalent. Most pediatric physiatrists plan to continue or expand telehealth offerings after COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Telehealth adoption has been expedited by COVID-19. Physician interest in and satisfaction with telehealth is high. Patient and family perceptions, outcomes of care, and barriers to implementation limiting program expansion deserve further study.

Benefits and Challenges of Telerehabilitation Use By Pediatric Physiotherapists During the COVID-19 Pandemic In Western and Southern India: A Cross Sectional Survey

“…TR services have been used to treat conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, hip and knee total arthroplasty, and medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and rheumatologic disease, both by itself and in conjunction with conventional care ( Dietzen et al, 2020 ).…”

Telehealth in PM&R: Past, present, and future in clinical practice and opportunities for translational research

“…A survey study of 78 pediatric PM&R physicians from multiple practice settings (80% academic setting, 13% non‐academic hospital‐based practice, and 7% private practice) reported that 14.5% of respondents used telehealth earlier compared with the use by nearly all (97.4%) since the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Most physicians were satisfied (85%) and “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that they would expand their use of telehealth to patients who live in remote geographic areas or have barriers to access clinical care, whereas a majority (57%) planned to expand use for all patients in their practices 145 . A recent cluster‐randomized, crossover study investigating parent and PM&R physician experiences and perceived quality of care between telehealth‐based school health clinic visits and in‐person clinic visits demonstrated that a telehealth model of care for children with special health care needs was equal to an in‐person visit both in experience and perceived quality of care 146 .…”

“…Most physicians were satisfied (85%) and "strongly agreed" or "agreed" that they would expand their use of telehealth to patients who live in remote geographic areas or have barriers to access clinical care, whereas a majority (57%) planned to expand use for all patients in their practices. 145 A recent cluster-randomized, crossover study investigating parent and PM&R physician experiences and perceived quality of care between telehealth-based school health clinic visits and inperson clinic visits demonstrated that a telehealth model of care for children with special health care needs was equal to an in-person visit both in experience and perceived quality of care. 146 Although both studies are descriptive, each suggests high acceptance of telehealth rehabilitation models in pediatric PM&R practice.…”

Implementation of a telerehabilitation program for children with neurodevelopmental disorders during the lockdown caused by COVID-19

“…With the pandemic caused by COVID19, the great need has arisen to maintain remote care for children with disabilities. Evidence suggests many applications in which telehealth can adequately replace traditional in-person visits, and there are many potential applications of telehealth to explore as a means of improving interdisciplinary rehabilitation team connectivity and outreach to pediatric patients (Camden and Silva, 2021; Curfman et al, 2021; Dietzen et al, 2020; Hsu et al, 2021; Maresca et al, 2020; Tenforde et al, 2020).…”