Perceptions About the Efficacy and Acceptability of Telephone and Video-Delivered Allied Health Care for Adults With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional National Survey

Abstract

Objective: To investigate and compare perceptions about the efficacy and acceptability of allied health care delivered via telephone and video call for adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Cross-sectional national survey.

Setting: Participants who accessed occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, or speech pathology care via telephone or via video call from June to September 2020.

Participants: Five hundred eighty-one adults with permanent or significant disabilities, or their carers, partners, or family members, who were funded by the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Experiences (eg, safety, efficacy, ease of use) with telephone and video-delivered care. Data were analyzed by calculating response proportions and chi-square tests to evaluate differences in experiences between allied health professions and between telephone and video modalities.

Results: Responses were obtained for 581 adults with disabilities. There was no evidence of differences between experiences with telephone or video-delivered services or across allied health professions. Overall, 47%-56% of respondents found telehealth technology easy to use (vs 17%-26% who found it difficult), 51%-55% felt comfortable communicating (vs 24%-27% who felt uncomfortable), 51%-67% were happy with the privacy and/or security (vs 6%-9% who were unhappy), 74% were happy with the safety (vs 5%-7% who were unhappy), and 56%-64% believed the care they received was effective (vs 17% who believed it was ineffective). Despite this, 48%-51% were unlikely to choose to use telephone or video consultations in the future (vs 32%-36% who were likely).

Conclusions: Adults with disabilities in Australia had generally positive experiences receiving allied health care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, although some experienced difficulties using and communicating via the technology. Findings indicated no differences between satisfaction with telephone or video modalities, or between physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, or psychology services.

Keywords: COVID-19; Occupational therapy; Physical therapy modalities; Psychology; Rehabilitation; Speech-language pathology; Telemedicine; Telephone.