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Uncovering healthcare staff attitudes to the rapid deployment of telehealth in Victoria, 2020–2021: a 12-month telehealth experience

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posted on 2023-05-21, 08:01 authored by Shannon, MM, Callum, SM, Michele CallisayaMichele Callisaya

Background

Telehealth was widely adopted in health services during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is unknown what the attitudes and ongoing needs of healthcare staff are after a rapid implementation of telehealth.

Aims

To evaluate staff attitudes to telehealth utilisation after a rapid implementation.

Methods

A health service-wide bespoke survey was sent to all clinicians, managers, and administration staff in June–July 2021. We evaluated attitudes to (i) telehealth application in the model of care and (ii) the barriers and enablers to use of telehealth. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data, and content analysis for the textual data.

Results

A hundred and thirty-four respondents completed the survey (response rate = 22.5% of healthdirect users (71/315), and = 3.2% of total healthcare staff population). Most commonly, telehealth was identified as being important (78%) and safe (79%) by clinicians; important (100%) and encouraged (88%) by managers. In contrast, telehealth was identified as not the same as face-to-face (56%, 50%); but easy to add to usual work arrangements (43%, 44%) by clinicians and managers, respectively. The most common enablers of telehealth were: (i) having others use the same telehealth platform (74.3%, 100%), and (ii) completing training (68.9%, 72.7%) by clinicians and managers, respectively. The most common barriers were having (i) reliable internet connectivity (39.2%, 45.5%) by clinicians and managers respectively, (ii) the right equipment (clinician 37.8%), and (iii) a private area (managers 36.3%).

Conclusions

Despite training and having support from colleagues to implement telehealth, ongoing needs were identified that may promote uptake in specific health settings.

History

Publication title

Internal Medicine Journal

ISSN

1444-0903

Department/School

Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia

Place of publication

54 University St, P O Box 378, Carlton, Australia, Victoria, 3053

Rights statement

© 2022 Royal Australasian College of Physicians. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Shannon, MM and Callum, SM and Callisaya, ML, Uncovering healthcare staff attitudes to the rapid deployment of telehealth in Victoria, 2020-2021: a 12-month telehealth experience, Internal Medicine Journal ISSN 1444-0903 (2022) early view, 15/5/22, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.15750 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.

Repository Status

  • Open

Socio-economic Objectives

Health system performance (incl. effectiveness of programs)

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