Availability, spatial accessibility, utilisation and the role of telehealth for multi-disciplinary paediatric cerebral palsy services in Queensland

Abstract

Traditional methods of delivering services to CP patients do not meet their needs. Clinicians have found telehealth is a feasible and satisfactory delivery method. However, the use of telehealth is still limited.

Pediatric Teleheath: Opportunities Created by the COVID-19 and Suggestions to Sustain Its Use to Support Families of Children with Disabilities

“…Despite this research evidence, perceptions that teleahealth might not be as effective as face-to-face interventions remain (Edirippulige et al, 2016). As telehealth is a service delivery model, and not the intervention itself, the question should not be "Is telehealth effective", the same way we would not ask 'Is physical or occupational therapy effective'.…”

“…A review in 2013 concluded that sufficient evidence existed to justify the use of telehealth in pediatric occupational therapy (Zylstra, 2013). It is one of many that support the feasibility of using telehealth in physical and occupational therapy in pediatrics, and the perception that telehealth could help increase access to services (Edirippulige et al, 2016;Iacono et al, 2016). One of the limitations identified by Zylstra (2013) was that most studies primarily investigated families' and therapists' satisfaction, as opposed to children and family outcomes.…”

“…Telehealth, defined generally as providing health care at distance, is not new. For decades, research has been ongoing to identify how technology could be used to increase access to rehabilitation services for individual with disabilities, mostly by decreasing time and costs related to travel distance (Camden et al, 2019;Edirippulige et al, 2016;Iacono et al, 2016). Prior to the COVID-19, organizations such as the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and the World Confederation of Occupational Therapists encouraged clinicians to embrace telehealth (Jacobs et al, 2015;WCPT and INPTRA, 2020).…”

Pediatric telerehabilitation medicine: Making your virtual visits efficient, effective and fun

“…However, telemedicine is not new. To date, telemedicine has been tried and even regularly used in a variety of clinical situations such as stroke evaluation [6], psychiatric care [7], newborn resuscitation [8], multidisciplinary care [9], There are many resources available to guide some aspects of a telemedicine visit, including the American Telemedicine Association "Operating Procedures for Pediatric Telehealth" [15], an overview on adult rehabilitation telemedicine visits [16], telemedicine for pediatric gastroenterologists [17], and a how-to for the adult telemedicine musculoskeletal exam [18]. While these resources can help a PRM provider with telerehabilitation medicine visits for certain diagnoses or clinical scenarios, these resources do not provide specific guidance for pediatric telerehabilitation medicine.…”

Telemedicine for Hyperkinetic Movement Disorders

“…The majority of children travel for long distances to consult a specialist (average distance of 836 km), and clinicians perceived healthcare services as inadequate in terms of accessibility for children with these movement disorders. 41 Moreover, videoconferencing allows both parents to participate in clinic for better management.…”