The use of telehealth in pediatric occupational therapy

Abstract

Introduction: The need for an on-time assertive and specialized approach to pediatric clients of occupational therapy is growing. Not all children have access to on-time intervention, and some are not even identified as needing so. Engaging in web-based social communication groups/sites/pages, etc., either from parents [1], but also from colleagues provides, amongst other advantages/benefits: a) a way to bring the occupational therapy prevention /assessment/intervention to the children and their families; b) it is an effective and up-to-date manner of spreading the word about occupational therapy. There were identified some gaps/needs in pediatric occupational therapy intervention [2], mainly in babies population (0–24m), which were not identified/diagnosed with any specific issue/problem/concern. Although, when in daily routine, specific questions/doubts/concerns arise related mainly with routines, self-regulation and mother anxiety.

Objectives/Goals: Evidence the use of telehealth in pediatric occupational therapy and its potential; Evidence the role of the occupational therapist; Identify the main concerns/issues of the mothers who use the social media to obtain answers.

Materials and methods: There were 3 phases for this pilot study: Informal Contact Phase, Formal Contact Phase and Evaluation Phase. This pilot study abides by the Declaration of Helsinki. The formal contact phase sample size was of 57 participants. From the formal contact phase, only 31,5% passed to the Evaluation phase. The data collected, voluntarily and anonymously, in the Evaluation phase included: Age distribution, Formal contact issue, Feelings towards formal contact, Client Satisfaction, Recommendation to others, Hour of the day of the formal contact.

Results: The results revealed that 51% of respondents were mothers of babies between 0–12 months of age; mainly concerned about Daily Routines (56%), specially Feeding and Sleep. Over 55% felt Clarified and Supported, with 89% Satisfaction Rate and 94% Recommendation to others rate.

Discussion and conclusions: Clear evidence of the effectiveness of the use of Telehealth in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. Further needs rely on gathering a larger sample size, include geographical data collection and the need to share study results with the paediatric health professional community.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the participation of all volunteers in this study.