The Use of Telehealth in School-Based Health Centers

Abstract

Telehealth is a growing model of delivering health care. School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide access to health care for youth in schools and increasingly use telehealth in care delivery. This article examines the recent growth of telehealth use in SBHCs, and characteristics of SBHCs using telehealth, including provider types, operational characteristics, and schools and students served. The percentage of SBHCs using telehealth grew from 7% in 2007-2008 to 19% in 2016-2017. Over 1 million students in over 1800 public schools have access to an SBHC using telehealth, which represents 2% of students and nearly 2% of public schools in the United States. These SBHCs are primarily in rural communities and sponsored by hospitals. This growing model presents an opportunity to expand health care access to youth, particularly in underserved areas in the United States and globally. Further research is needed to fully describe how telehealth programs are implemented in school settings and their potential impacts.

Perceptions of School-Based Telehealth in a Rural State: Moving Forward After COVID-19

“…Telehealth can remove barriers to care for clients who live in remote locales, or in areas with a shortage of clinicians ( Campbell et al, 2020 ; Cason, 2012 ; Johnsson et al, 2019 ; Jones et al, 2014 ). Stakeholders generally express positive feedback about telehealth because it has resulted in improved health outcomes ( Camden & Silva, 2021 ; Sanchez et al, 2019 ; Tenforde, et al 2020 ; Wallisch, et al, 2019 ). Several studies examined the efficacy of telehealth in achieving client outcomes and performing clinician tasks and found no difference in assessment scores between in-person and telehealth consultations for environmental consultations.…”

Connecting Kids to Care: Developing a School-Based Telehealth Program

“…SBTH in rural and underserved communities provides an opportunity to increase health care access 14 by offering an innovative strategy to effectively and efficiently provide access to health services. Over the last several years, the number of school-based programs serving rural communities has increased due to telehealth.…”

“…9 There are more than 260 SBTH locations across the country increasing access to health care to approximately 165,000 students. 14 SBTH can support the delivery of health care to children in the school setting without requiring parents and guardians to miss work or arrange for transportation to a provider's office. 15 SBTH programs have been shown to improve care of children with type 1 diabetes, 16 reduce student absences, 17 and reduce stress for caregivers.…”

Health technology in school-based health centers: supporting continuous care during COVID-19

“…As the number of SBHCs in rural areas grows, so does the number of those offering telehealth services. In 2016, the one in five centers that used telehealth to provide services were more likely to serve rural communities (10,13).…”