Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T20:55:08.013Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Human Services workers’ experiences of rapidly moving to Telehealth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2020

Rachael Sanders*
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Rachael Sanders, Email: [email protected]

Abstract

As a way of restricting the spread of COVID-19, methods of social distancing were instituted in most places that people gather, including workplaces. As such, human service agencies have implemented novel ways of delivering services to clients, with a common method being telehealth. For some practitioners this was unchartered waters and required rapid adaption to their everyday practice. I was interested to hear about their experiences and what useful learning came from it. I spoke, informally, with 13 people across four settings in a regional city in Victoria, asking them about the problems, positive changes and innovations that emerged. There were reports of challenges to overcome as well as benefits that may well become long-lasting. Practitioners adapted quickly and successfully to telehealth, with only minor problems that they managed to iron out quite quickly. They were mindful of people’s differing levels of capacity and access to technology and learned to be gentle and kind to themselves and others as they adapted. Some people came to realise that they like to work from home because it improves their work-life balance. Others, however, are keen to return to the workplace; highlighting the importance for flexibility based on individual circumstances. There was a strong sense of improved communication between agencies as they were better able to connect via telehealth compared with former in-person practices.

Type
Practice Commentaries
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Department of Health (2020). COVID-19: Whole of population telehealth for patients, general practice, primary care and other medical services. A joint media release with Professor Michael Kidd AM, Principle Medical Advisor. https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/covid-19-whole-of-population-telehealth-for-patients-general-practice-primary-care-and-other-medical-services Google Scholar
Gill, M., & Australian National Consultative Committee on Electronic Health (2011). A national telehealth strategy for Australia – For discussion. https://www.who.int/goe/policies/countries/aus__support_tele.pdfGoogle Scholar
International Organization for Standardization (n.d.). Health informatics — Telehealth services — Quality planning guidelines. https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:ts:13131:ed-1:v1:en Google Scholar
Lins, S., Hayder-Beichel, D., Rucker, G., Motschall, E., Antes, G., Meter, G., & Langer, G. (2014). Efficacy and experiences of telephone counselling for informal carers of people with dementia. Cochrane Database Systematic Review, https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009126.pub2/full CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLean, S., & Sheikh, A. (2009). Does telehealth care offer a patient-centred way forward for the community-based management of long-term respiratory disease? Primary Care Respiratory Journal, 18(3), 125126. https://doi.org/10.3132/pcrj.2009.00006 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orlando, J. F., Beard, M., & Kumar, S. (2019). Systematic review of patient and caregivers’ satisfaction with telehealth videoconferencing as a mode of service delivery in managing patients’ health. Plos One, 14(8): e0221848. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221848.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, V. (2013). How to make telehealth work: Defining telehealth processes and procedures. Unicare e-health. https://www.petermac.org/sites/default/files/media-uploads/How_to_Make_telehealth_Work_%28Victoria%20Wade%29.pdf Google Scholar