Telehealth is “the application of evaluative, consultative, preventative, and
therapeutic services delivered through telecommunication and information technologies,”
(AOTA, 2014, p. S69). The evidence literature provides support for the use of a
telehealth service-delivery model in occupational therapy (OT) practice within various
settings. The use of telehealth in pediatric occupational therapy has been shown to be
effective by increasing access to specialist care and preventing delays in provision of
services (Cason, 2014), increasing collaboration and carry-over of treatment strategies
(Gibbs & Toth-Cohen, 2011), and improving overall therapist/client satisfaction
(Ashburner, 2016; Criss, 2013; Reifenberg, et al., 2017; Zylstra, 2013). Despite the
effectiveness of a telehealth service-delivery model, the use of telehealth in occupational
therapy practice is limited, potentially due to a lack of knowledge about telehealth.
Education is a critical factor necessary to promote successful implementation of
telehealth in clinical practice (Nissen & Brockevelt, 2016). In order to educate schoolbased
working professionals, including OT practitioners and school district
administrators, about the use of telehealth, an asynchronous, online educational program
about the use of telehealth is proposed. A participatory action research model was used in
the initial phase of the project. School-based occupational therapists, certified
occupational therapy assistants, district administrators, and related technology staff were
invited to complete a survey intended to explore attitudes about the use of telehealth.
Results of the survey guided the formation and implementation of a client-centered
program designed to educate participants about the potential benefits and barriers to the
use of telehealth in a pediatric, school-based setting. Stakeholders were invited to
complete the online educational program about telehealth and complete a post-program
survey to reflect on any knowledge gained as a result of the course. This educational
program addresses a gap in knowledge, experience, and awareness of telehealth among
occupational therapy practitioners and school district stakeholders. Further collaboration
between occupational therapy practitioners and researchers is needed to continue to
explore potential uses of telehealth within a school-based setting. / 2019-10-23T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/32720 |
| Date | 24 October 2018 |
| Creators | Rortvedt, Daniel James |
| Contributors | Jacobs, Karen |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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