Telehealth Usability Questionnaire--Adapted Version

Adamou, Marios; Jones, Sarah L.; Fullen, Tim; Galab, Nazmeen; Abbott, K Verdolini; Yasmeen, Salma

doi:10.1037/t82462-000

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…It was suggested by participants that communication could improve within remote appointments: if a person feels comfortable within their home environment, they may behave in a more relaxed way (Mason, 2021). However, if a person is in a safe, non-stressful environment, the healthcare provider cannot observe how the autistic person copes more challenging contexts, making it difficult to behaviourally gage every-day distress, as discussed by Adamou et al (2021). This may be likewise relevant to diagnostic assessments, mental health services and physical health appointments, albeit for different reasons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘The key to this is not so much the technology. It’s the individual who is using the technology’: Perspectives on telehealth delivery for autistic adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ali

O’Brien

Hull

et al. 2022

Autism

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The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a large-scale move to remote delivery of healthcare services. However, little research has directly explored telehealth experiences of autistic adults, a population strongly affected by health inequalities and care access barriers. This study sought telehealth experiences of 11 autistic adults (aged 27–67 years), seven family members/carers (aged 44–75) reporting about autistic people and six service providers. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with all participants, which were then thematically analysed. Two over-arching themes identified were technology aids communication and access – except when it doesn’t, and in/flexibility, with a number of sub-themes. The themes, on one hand, highlighted positives of telehealth delivery, including easing some aspects of communication and decreased stress and, on the other hand, negatives, such as increased rigidity of the healthcare system, amplifying pre-existing barriers. Considering autistic people experience barriers to accessing healthcare, this study highlights such barriers could be, in some instances, addressed via remote delivery, as well as possible limitations of telehealth for some autistic adults. Lay abstract The COVID-19 pandemic meant that a lot of healthcare services had to move online, such as to video-calls, or to telephone. However, not many studies have looked at how autistic adults feel about this kind of service delivery. It is important to know this, as autistic people may have poorer health than non-autistic people, and they may also struggle to access services more than non-autistic people. This study asked 11 autistic adults (aged 27–67 years), seven family members/carers (aged 44–75) reporting about autistic adults and six service providers about their experiences of accessing or providing a telehealth service. These experiences were collected through interviews, which were then analysed through thematic analysis. Two main themes were: technology aids communication and access – except when it doesn’t, and in/flexibility. The themes pointed out some positive aspects of telehealth delivery, including improved communication and decreased stress. The themes also pointed out negative aspects of telehealth, such as increased rigidity of the healthcare system, amplifying pre-existing barriers. Because autistic people have many barriers to accessing healthcare, this study encourages researchers and healthcare providers to think about how such barriers could be addressed through telehealth, and about the possible limitations of telehealth for some autistic people.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%