Satisfaction of telehealth implementation in a pediatric feeding clinic

Abstract

<abstract><sec> <title>Objectives</title> <p>Telehealth services became commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic and were widely reported to improve access to medical care in a variety of settings. The primary aim of this study was to assess patient- and provider-reported satisfaction with telehealth services within a multidisciplinary outpatient program for children with feeding disorders.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Methods</title> <p>Caregivers and healthcare providers who participated in telehealth multidisciplinary visits within an outpatient pediatric feeding disorders clinic between April and June 2020 completed an online survey that assessed their visit satisfaction. The visit completion rates of in-person 2019 and virtual 2020 visits were compared.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Results</title> <p>Thirty-six caregivers of children between 1-month and 8-years-old completed the survey. Caregivers indicated their overall satisfaction with telehealth services, finding it more convenient than seeing specialists in person. Caregivers demonstrated interest in continuing telehealth visits. Providers indicated being satisfied with the telehealth visits, with many noting that they were as effective as in-person visits. There was an increase in the number of in-person visits between 2019 compared to virtual visits in 2020, though there were no differences for the visit completion rates.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Both caregivers and providers were satisfied with the telehealth services and highlighted various benefits in response to open-ended questions. However, there were concerns with the lack of available anthropometric data and measurements. Although there were no differences in the no-show rates following the implementation of telehealth, there was a significant increase in the total number of completed visits. Telehealth visits are a crucial resource for caregivers and providers in multidisciplinary pediatric feeding clinics, yet enhancing anthropometric measurements is necessary to provide quality care.</p> </sec></abstract>