Caregiver and Clinician Experience With Virtual Services for Children and Youth With Complex Needs During COVID-19

Laura Theall; Kim Arbeau; Ajit Ninan; Keith Willoughby; Michelle Ponti; Laurie Arnold; Nevena Dourova; Melissa Currie

doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.09.017

Caregiver and Clinician Experience With Virtual Services for Children and Youth With Complex Needs During COVID-19

J Pediatr Health Care. 2023 Mar-Apr;37(2):167-172. doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2022.09.017. Epub 2022 Oct 6.

Authors

Laura Theall¹, Kim Arbeau², Ajit Ninan³, Keith Willoughby⁴, Michelle Ponti⁵, Laurie Arnold⁶, Nevena Dourova⁷, Melissa Currie⁸

Affiliations

¹ Laura Theall, Research Coordinator, Child and Parent Resource Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.. Electronic address: laura.theall-honey@ontario.ca.
² Kim Arbeau, Research Coordinator, Child and Parent Resource Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Ajit Ninan, Medical Director, Child and Parent Resource Institute, and Adjunct Professor, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁴ Keith Willoughby, Research Coordinator, Child and Parent Resource Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Michelle Ponti, Pediatrician, Child and Parent Resource Institute, and Adjunct Professor, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Laurie Arnold, Social Worker, Child and Parent Resource Institute, and Adjunct Professor, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Nevena Dourova, Psychiatrist, Child and Parent Resource Institute, and Adjunct Professor, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁸ Melissa Currie, Program Manager, Child and Parent Resource Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.

Abstract

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, support services for children and youth quickly shifted to virtual means. To continue delivering essential, trauma-informed, specialized services, the center transitioned to providing most services by phone/video conference.

Method: A quality improvement project using survey methods was conducted to determine if virtual delivery was timely and satisfactory for inpatient and outpatient care.

Results: Findings indicated services were timely. Caregivers appreciated the support, felt a personal connection with staff, and confirmed services met their goals and expectations. However, challenges faced by staff included engaging the child/youth by phone/video, loss of collaboration with colleagues, and concerns about fulfilling their role through virtual means.

Discussion: Understanding stakeholder experiences illuminated the path of quality improvement during this major shift in service delivery. Benefits were shown for a blended model of in-person and virtual services on the basis of clinical judgment and the unique needs of clients and families in considering future service model options.

Keywords: COVID-19; Children; complex needs; quality improvement; virtual care.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
COVID-19*
Caregivers*
Child
Humans
Pandemics
Surveys and Questionnaires