Perceptions of School-Based Telehealth in a Rural State: Moving Forward After COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare
• Telehealth implementation
• School-based services

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid shifts to remote service delivery in schools.
• School-based clinicians, including occupational therapists (OTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), adapted to providing services via telehealth.
• Rural settings present unique challenges for technology adoption and access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers encountered by school-based OTs and SLPs providing telehealth services in a rural state during the COVID-19 emergency.
• To analyze the challenges associated with implementing telehealth in an unexpected public health crisis.
• To inform future telehealth strategies in educational settings.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to school-based clinicians in a primarily rural state.
• The survey focused on experiences with telehealth implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Data analysis identified primary barriers to telehealth service delivery.

Main Results:

• Major barriers included a lack of adequate practitioner training for telehealth.
• Limited student access to necessary technology was a significant obstacle.
• Clinicians expressed concerns regarding the equivalence of telehealth intervention quality versus in-person services.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth implementation in schools faces significant hurdles related to training, technology, and perceived quality.
• Addressing these barriers is crucial for effective and equitable school-based telehealth services.
• Further research is needed to optimize telehealth delivery in educational environments.