Presentation
DH13 - Pediatric Telehealth from a Caregivers' Perspective
DescriptionTelehealth has been available in the United States since the early 2000s but was not widely utilized. In the case of pediatric sub-specialties on a national level, in 2019 there was 1 per 1000 child enrollees. However, in 2020 this increased to 68 per 1000 child enrollees (Uscher-Pines et al., 2020). As the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, telehealth increasingly became a safe way for caregivers and parents to engage with their child’s physician with minimal risk of exposure to COVID-19 or other viruses. Therefore, it’s vital to understand the importance of designing an interface to facilitate user interactions with the system and their physicians (Khashe, Y., Tabibzadeh, M., and Zou, D., 2021).This project was conducted using Userlytics, an online research platform, interviewing 30 caregivers of minors aged 0-17 years old to examine the challenges and benefits of using telehealth platforms for minors' healthcare during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. During this presentation, the findings will focus on the experience of caregivers in key areas such as benefits, pitfalls, limitations, and recommendations/next steps to enhance the end user experience for telehealth.
While limitations of the technology surfaced such as a lack of a thorough examination and ambiguity around appointment costs, the benefits of telehealth outweighed the pitfalls. Benefits such as convenience of not commuting with a sick child and having immediate access to healthcare providers (HCPs) highlighted why telehealth will be a continued resource for caregiver’s post-pandemic and beyond. Two key concerns were limitations of telehealth technology impacting an HCP’s ability to conduct a thorough examination and the cost of telehealth visits. Despite this, of the seventy percent of participants who used telehealth during the pandemic, sixty-three percent indicated a preference to continue using it even after COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency.
Based on the results of the study and review or prior literature, three key recommendations for telehealth users were identified. First, caregivers would benefit from tool options that can capture evidence of symptoms before a telehealth visit, such as recording cough sounds or taking images of rashes or inflammation using smartphones or digital cameras. These recordings and photos could be uploaded and made available to the HCP for a more thorough assessment prior to or during the visit. Second, caregivers would benefit from information on how to correctly record vitals at home (e.g., pulse) to share during an appointment, including any recommended devices for tracking vitals. Third, caregivers need a straightforward list of what to expect from the visit, such as expected visit duration, directions for joining session, need for child to be present, and visual or audio record of symptoms, during a telehealth appointment that may assist the HCP in accurate diagnosis. It was also considered crucial by participants to clearly specify when caregivers should seek in-person medical care for their child instead of telehealth.
While this research offers insights into caregivers' experiences with telehealth appointments for their children, it does not address issues faced by caregivers with sensory, motor, or cognitive impairments that may affect their ability to use telehealth platforms. Additionally, it does not document the impact of limited access to required technology, such as computers, smartphones, or internet access. Therefore, further investigation is recommended to explore how sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments or technology access influence the usability of telehealth for caregivers of minors.
While limitations of the technology surfaced such as a lack of a thorough examination and ambiguity around appointment costs, the benefits of telehealth outweighed the pitfalls. Benefits such as convenience of not commuting with a sick child and having immediate access to healthcare providers (HCPs) highlighted why telehealth will be a continued resource for caregiver’s post-pandemic and beyond. Two key concerns were limitations of telehealth technology impacting an HCP’s ability to conduct a thorough examination and the cost of telehealth visits. Despite this, of the seventy percent of participants who used telehealth during the pandemic, sixty-three percent indicated a preference to continue using it even after COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency.
Based on the results of the study and review or prior literature, three key recommendations for telehealth users were identified. First, caregivers would benefit from tool options that can capture evidence of symptoms before a telehealth visit, such as recording cough sounds or taking images of rashes or inflammation using smartphones or digital cameras. These recordings and photos could be uploaded and made available to the HCP for a more thorough assessment prior to or during the visit. Second, caregivers would benefit from information on how to correctly record vitals at home (e.g., pulse) to share during an appointment, including any recommended devices for tracking vitals. Third, caregivers need a straightforward list of what to expect from the visit, such as expected visit duration, directions for joining session, need for child to be present, and visual or audio record of symptoms, during a telehealth appointment that may assist the HCP in accurate diagnosis. It was also considered crucial by participants to clearly specify when caregivers should seek in-person medical care for their child instead of telehealth.
While this research offers insights into caregivers' experiences with telehealth appointments for their children, it does not address issues faced by caregivers with sensory, motor, or cognitive impairments that may affect their ability to use telehealth platforms. Additionally, it does not document the impact of limited access to required technology, such as computers, smartphones, or internet access. Therefore, further investigation is recommended to explore how sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments or technology access influence the usability of telehealth for caregivers of minors.
Event Type
Poster Presentation
TimeTuesday, March 264:45pm - 6:15pm CDT
LocationSalon C
Digital Health
Simulation and Education
Hospital Environments
Medical and Drug Delivery Devices
Patient Safety Research and Initiatives