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Telehealth of Infants at Risk During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Physical Therapists' and Caregiver's Perceptions and
Adriana Neves Dos Santos1,2, Tatiane Schlichting2, Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira Rocha2
1Department of Health Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Brazil.
Insights
Telehealth effectively detected infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assessors and caregivers reported positive experiences, with minimal costs, suggesting feasibility for future clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Telehealth Applications
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay require timely assessment.
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the adoption of remote healthcare services.
- Telehealth offers a potential solution for continuous pediatric care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the use of telehealth for detecting infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay.
- To assess the perceptions of healthcare providers and caregivers regarding telehealth assessments.
- To evaluate the associated costs of telehealth services for infant neurodevelopmental assessments.
Main Methods:
- Observational study involving five physical therapists.
- Telehealth delivery of the General Movement Assessment, Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination, and Alberta Infant Motor Scale.
- Assessment of 65 infants at risk of neurologic delay during the COVID-19 pandemic via questionnaires and cost tabulation.
Main Results:
- Assessors reported comfort and good teleassessment quality, despite challenges with synchronous methods, caregiver guidance, camera positioning, and internet stability.
- Most assessors were willing to continue using telehealth.
- Caregivers reported high satisfaction with minimal associated costs.
Conclusions:
- Teleassessment proved feasible for detecting infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay during the pandemic.
- Further evaluation is needed before widespread implementation in general clinical practice.
Aim:
We aimed to describe telehealth used to detect infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay and assess the assessors' and caregivers' perceptions and costs.
Methods:
This was an observational study in which five physical therapists applied the General Movement Assessment, the neurological exam based on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination, and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale via telehealth in 65 infants at risk of neurologic delay during the COVID-19 pandemic. The perceptions of assessors and caregivers were assessed using a questionnaire. We tabulated the family's costs (internet access) and the therapist's expenses (internet access and professional fees).
Results:
In general, assessors felt comfortable and reported good quality of teleassessment. They highlighted the significant effort they and caregivers required for synchronous methods, challenges in clearly guiding caregivers on infant positioning, difficulties in adjusting the camera's position, and unstable internet connections. Most assessors expressed a willingness to continue using telehealth. Caregivers displayed high satisfaction, and the costs were minimal.
Conclusion:
Teleassessment during the COVID-19 pandemic was feasible, although implementing this method of health service in general clinical practice still requires further scrutiny.
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