Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2020.6328Keywords:
COVID, Occupational therapist, Occupational therapy, Telehealth, TelerehabilitationAbstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, healthcare professionals worldwide abruptly shifted from an in-person to a telehealth service delivery model. Many did so without advanced training or preparation. This cross-sectional study explored how occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they found it to be an effective service delivery model that should be a permanent option for providing occupational therapy services. An online survey was disseminated; it included Likert scale questions, multiple option questions, and open-ended questions regarding telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 230 respondents, 176 (77%) support telehealth as a substitute for in-person services; 179 (78%) support telehealth as a permanent option for occupational therapy service delivery. This information lends support to the uninterrupted use of telehealth by OTPs when government emergency orders in response to COVID-19 expire.
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ISSN 1945-2020 (online)
