Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sue Dahl-Popolizio; Heidi Carpenter; Melissa Coronado; Nicholas J Popolizio; Connor Swanson

doi:10.5195/ijt.2020.6328

Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Int J Telerehabil. 2020 Dec 8;12(2):77-92. doi: 10.5195/ijt.2020.6328.

Authors

Sue Dahl-Popolizio¹, Heidi Carpenter², Melissa Coronado³, Nicholas J Popolizio⁴, Connor Swanson³

Affiliations

¹ Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
² Banner Health, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
³ Northern Arizona University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
⁴ Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: COVID; Occupational therapist; Occupational therapy; Telehealth; Telerehabilitation.