Telehealth within occupational therapy in primary care settings - an interview study

The Swedish Government is implementing a Transition To Integrated and Person-Centred Care, with telehealth as a key component. This transition affects both patients and healthcare professionals, including occupational therapists. However, knowledge about occupational therapists' views on telehealth in their practice is limited.

To explore and describe how occupational therapists within regional primary care reason about telehealth in an occupational therapy practice context.

A qualitative interview study was conducted, using semi-structured interviews with 14 occupational therapists. Data was analysed using systematic text condensation.

The occupational therapists reasoned about telehealth in three main areas: Through the lens of the patient, Through the lens of their profession, and In relation to the context.

The study indicates that conventional occupational therapy is not always feasible through telehealth. To fully utilize telehealth, the occupational therapists see a need to adopt new ways of working. They emphasized the importance of retaining in-person meetings, and that further developed telehealth could constitute a valuable complement to the service they provide.

These insights regarding telehealth could guide the profession and support development in relation to the transition to integrated care and person-centred care, ultimately benefiting those who need occupational therapy.