Use of Telehealth in Fellowship-Affiliated Developmental Behavioral Pediatric Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to describe the use of telehealth in developmental behavioral pediatric (DBP) fellowship-affiliated practices during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Methods: An electronic survey was disseminated to all DBP fellowship-associated practice locations to determine the use of telehealth in DBP care provision, before and since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed responses using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 35 of 42 eligible practice sites responded (83% response rate). Most sites (51.4%) reported using telehealth less than once per month before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of COVID-19, 100% of programs reported conducting videobased telehealth visits multiple days per week. Most sites reported conducting evaluations and follow-up visits for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral concerns, developmental delay, genetic disorders, and learning disability. Most sites were able to continue medication management by telehealth (>88%), offer interpreter services for families with limited English proficiency participating in telehealth visits (>90%), and incorporate trainees and interdisciplinary team members in telehealth visits (>90%). Greater variability was observed in sites' ability to collect telehealth practice evaluation measures. Conclusion: Most sites are providing evaluations and ongoing care for DBP conditions through telehealth. The rapid adoption of telehealth can have ramifications for the way that DBP care is delivered in the future; therefore, it is imperative to understand current practice patterns and variations to determine the best use of telehealth.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical Pathways for Non-SARS-CoV-2 Related Diseases in the Lazio Region, Italy

“…However, it must be taken into account that in order to replace frontal visits with telemedicine, efficient and sure platforms must be available [ 30 ], also considering that some issues related to data privacy are yet to be solved [ 28 , 34 ].…”

“…These findings are in line with those registered by the University of Melbourne, where the visits cancellation rate was low [ 31 ]. Half of our respondents declared to be using telemedicine satisfactorily in almost all conditions, such as in other experiences [ 31 , 34 ].…”

Children and Adolescents with Disabilities and Exposure to Disasters, Terrorism, and the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Scoping Review

“…The majority of interventions studied during the COVID-19 pandemic relate to the use of telehealth for diagnosis and treatment in the clinical domain, as well as using video technology to mitigate COVID-19-related factors. Reports have studied the use of telehealth by physicians [ 121 – 123 ] and for providing treatment for children with disabilities during COVID-19, including those with learning disabilities [ 124 ], parent training [ 125 , 126 ], treatment for communication disorders [ 127 ], screening and assessing for ASD among children [ 128 •], behavioral telehealth [ 129 ], multidisciplinary Trisomy 21 clinic [ 130 ], applied behavior analysis treatment [ 131 ], distance support and online treatment for blind and visually impaired [ 132 ], assessing language samples [ 133 ], assessments by neuropsychologists [ 134 ], parent–child educational sessions, parental support sessions, and direct telehealth rehabilitation [ 135 ].…”

The role of age and digital competence on the use of online health and social care services: A cross-sectional population-based survey

“…Especially the COVID-19 pandemic has given an unprecedented boost to the digitalization of these services. 1 , 2 For example, in the US the use of Telehealth, that is delivery of health-related services through telecommunication and digital technologies, increased from 0.2 per cent in March 2019 to 1.9 per cent in March 2020. 3 In Finland, the use of remote and phone services regarding psychiatric outpatient visits increased from nine per cent in January to 48 per cent in May 2020, whereas at the same time face-to-face visits declined from 84 to 47 per cent.…”