Teleconsultation for Children With Developmental Disabilities During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Caregivers' Experience

Background The unprecedented situation due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown necessitated the need for teleconsultations with caregivers of children with disabilities. The objective of this study was to explore the acceptability, satisfaction, perceived relevance, and barriers to teleconsultation from a caregiver's perspective. Methodology This was a descriptive qualitative study (telephonic interviews) involving in-depth interviews (IDIs) with the caregivers of children with developmental disabilities who received teleconsultations. Manual content analysis of transcripts of IDIs was done. Results Eight IDIs were conducted with the caregivers of children with cerebral palsy, autism, and developmental delay. The respondents expressed increased challenges in managing their children during the pandemic and the need for professional consultation. They also expressed difficulty in accessing professional help during the pandemic due to poor healthcare access and fear of getting COVID-19. The following responses were noted: "For almost a year we couldn't take her for the therapy," "We were unable to take him to therapy which resulted in an increase in tightness of his limbs, and he became more irritable." All respondents preferred video teleconsultations during lockdown due to flexible timings, ease of communication, and no travel restrictions; "I can benefit from teleconsultation because she does not have any physical problem." However, caregivers of children with physical ailments preferred face-to-face consultation. Conclusions Teleconsultation was found to effectively support the treatment and rehabilitation of children with disabilities during the COVID-19 lockdown, although direct face-to-face consultation was preferred by caregivers of children with physical ailments. The use of modern mobile/digital technologies creates new opportunities to improve the quality and accessibility of such services.