Virtual Consultations: Young People and Their Parents’ Experience

Abstract

Purpose

Evaluate the experience of virtual consultations for young people and their families and assess whether young people are being offered a confidential space as part of these virtual encounters.

Patients and Methods

An anonymous online survey was sent to young people age 10–18 y.o. who had experienced at least one virtual consultation with an adolescent medicine tertiary service in the United Kingdom between March 13th and June 13th 2020 mostly associated with, but not exclusively, management of chronic fatigue syndrome or medically unexplained symptoms. Responses from the survey were analysed by two authors who independently coded the common themes reported by the participants.

Results

Fifty young people and their families participated in the survey. Eighty-eight percent reported feeling prepared for virtual appointments, 90% found them helpful, 88% felt that they were private and 86% reported they would find further virtual appointments helpful. Positive impacts reported were no need to travel (38%) and the continuity of care (36%). Many of our participants reported no negative impact (39%) and felt that nothing needed to be improved (56%). The most frequent improvement reported was the provision of a quality video call (34%). Only 36% of young people had the opportunity to speak in confidence to the health care provider without their parents’ presence.

Conclusion

Virtual appointments are perceived as safe and helpful by the young people and their families. Professionals should offer a confidential remote space for young people to speak without their parents.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• young people
• remote consultation
• telemedicine
• telehealth

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Adolescents and Children with Complex Conditions Service (TRACCS) team for their comments on the survey questionnaire and all TRACCS young people and parents that took the time to complete this survey. This survey was registered as a service evaluation within our institution. Ethical approval was not deemed necessary as this survey was conducted anonymously as part of the service evaluation. This survey has not received any specific funding.

Author Contributions

All authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; took part in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; agreed to submit to the current journal; gave final approval of the version to be published; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.