Identifying Barriers to and Opportunities for Telehealth Implementation Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic by Using a Human Factors Approach: A Leap Into the Future of Health Care Delivery?

Abstract

The extensive uptake of telehealth has considerably transformed health care delivery since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has imposed tremendous challenges to its large-scale implementation and adaptation. Given the shift in paradigm from telehealth as an alternative mechanism of care delivery to telehealth as an integral part of the health system, it is imperative to take a systematic approach to identifying barriers to, opportunities for, and the overall impact of telehealth implementation amidst the current pandemic. In this work, we apply a human factors framework, the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety model, to guide our holistic analysis and discussion of telehealth implementation, encompassing the health care work system, care processes, and outcomes.

Implementing telepsychiatry in an early psychosis service during COVID‐19: Experiences of young people and clinicians and changes in service utilization

“…Some studies suggest that telepsychiatry may increase attendance rates by improving accessibility to services and removing barriers to travel (Chaudhry et al, 2021 ; Leigh et al, 2009 ). Several challenges to implementation however have been raised, including technological challenges and maintaining privacy and confidentiality, while carrying out clinical assessments and treatment (Zhang et al, 2021 ).…”

Survival of rural telehealth services post‐pandemic in Australia: A call to retain the gains in the ‘new normal’

“…Known barriers to widespread sector uptake of telehealth included health care provider's data security and privacy concerns, an unwillingness to change models of care, technological issues and set-up costs, administrative challenges, and limited professional skills and confidence to get online. 21 There were also financial barriers for health service providers relating to payment incentives, billing and funding. 17 Reimbursement for services through the Medical Benefit Schedule (MBS) was not universally available in Australia prior to the pandemic.…”

“…However, pre‐pandemic many clinicians regarded telehealth as an inferior substitute for in‐person care, 21 when the notion of wholesale transition to remote telehealth consultations was inconceivable. Known barriers to widespread sector uptake of telehealth included health care provider's data security and privacy concerns, an unwillingness to change models of care, technological issues and set‐up costs, administrative challenges, and limited professional skills and confidence to get online 21 . There were also financial barriers for health service providers relating to payment incentives, billing and funding 17 .…”

Perception and Attitude toward Teleconsultations among Different Healthcare Professionals in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…One of the key factors in this regard is the proper preparation for this form of providing medical services, particularly through the collection of relevant data. Thanks to ICT solutions, HCPs and patients can share various types of information, including blood pressure test results, X-rays, and CT scans [ 19 ]. Remote access to patients’ medical history and the results of their medical tests enables the optimization of the therapeutic process and the establishment of a detailed care plan.…”

“…Remote access to patients’ medical history and the results of their medical tests enables the optimization of the therapeutic process and the establishment of a detailed care plan. From the technical standpoint, the availability of a stable internet/telephone connection is also vital, as is the possibility of ensuring privacy during teleconsultations [ 12 , 19 ].…”