Eddison Nicola, Healy Aoife, Calvert Sian, Chockalingam Nachiappan
Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton, UK.
Assist Technol. 2023 Mar 4;35(2):163-168. doi: 10.1080/10400435.2021.1995531. Epub 2021 Nov 23.
COVID-19 has impacted the National Health Service provision, creating urgency for departments to adapt and adopt new ways of delivering healthcare. The purpose of this service evaluation was to determine the emergence of telehealth in orthotic services across the UK in response to COVID-19. A survey exploring telehealth use was distributed online to orthotists approximately 6 months after the first peak of COVID-19 in the UK. It gathered information on telehealth prevalence, allocated appointment length and waiting times, clinician access to technology and clinicians' opinions on the efficacy of telehealth. The survey received 77 responses with over 90% of respondents reporting using telehealth. Most reported that they expected telehealth to remain part of the service, post COVID-19. Thematic analysis produced two main themes: the impact of COVID-19 and challenges still to overcome. Findings suggest that the pandemic has resulted in a backlog of patients waiting for an orthotic appointment, with services currently understaffed and lacking resources. For telehealth to be effective orthotists must have access to appropriate technology and training on how to use telehealth platforms, be provided with appropriate guidance on which patients are appropriate for telehealth consultations and given appropriate appointment times to enable safe and effective care.
新冠疫情对国民医疗服务体系的提供产生了影响，促使各部门迫切需要调整并采用新的医疗服务提供方式。这项服务评估的目的是确定英国各地矫形服务中远程医疗因新冠疫情而出现的情况。在英国新冠疫情首个高峰期过后约6个月，一项关于远程医疗使用情况的调查以在线方式分发给了矫形师。该调查收集了有关远程医疗普及率、预约时长和等待时间、临床医生对技术的使用情况以及临床医生对远程医疗效果的看法等信息。该调查共收到77份回复，超过90%的受访者表示使用过远程医疗。大多数受访者称，他们预计在新冠疫情之后远程医疗仍将是服务的一部分。主题分析产生了两个主要主题：新冠疫情的影响和仍需克服的挑战。研究结果表明，疫情导致了等待矫形预约的患者积压，目前服务人员不足且缺乏资源。要使远程医疗有效，矫形师必须能够使用适当的技术并接受如何使用远程医疗平台的培训，要获得关于哪些患者适合进行远程医疗咨询的适当指导，并获得适当的预约时间，以确保提供安全有效的护理。
