Evaluation of telehealth in delivering diagnostic developmental assessments for children in South Western Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinician and family perspectives

Aims

Children with neuro-developmental disorders faced significant challenges in accessing services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth has been adopted by health services globally to facilitate access to clinical services. Our aims were to evaluate the utility of the telehealth modality for providing developmental assessment services and explore enablers and barriers to using telehealth, in a culturally diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged population in Sydney.

Methods

We reviewed telehealth developmental assessments in South Western Sydney conducted between 1 April and 30 June 2020. Data were collated on demographics; telehealth modality; diagnostic formulation; recommendations; and requested follow up. We conducted retrospective semi-structured telephone interviews with 79 families and 11 clinicians about their telehealth experience. Thematic analysis was carried out on the open text responses.

Results

Of 205 children assessed across six sites, median age was 48 months; 45% were assessed with video and 55% with telephone only. Diagnostic formulation and therapeutic recommendations were provided for 203 (99%) children and 138 (67%) were asked to come for face-to-face follow-up. The majority of families (76%) were satisfied or extremely satisfied with telehealth. Median clinician satisfaction was 3.5 out of 5, whilst clinician confidence with diagnostic formulation was 4 out of 5. Qualitative data revealed a range of barriers and enablers.

Conclusion

Telehealth was a successful modality for contributing to the assessment journey for children with neuro-developmental disorders in our culturally, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse clinical population in the context of a pandemic lockdown. We discuss the potential for telehealth modalities in child developmental assessments beyond the pandemic.