Kids, Virtual Care and the COVID-19 pandemic: learning from our experiences.
Background
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for remote, in-home options to assessments and treatment of children with disabilities has become an essential part of care. The pandemic has shown the potential of using technology to carry out and support care and treatment at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. However, it is vital that the care that is provided is equivalent to the care that clients and families would receive onsite.
Objective
This study will explore the positive and negative features of virtual care in assessment and intervention, compare and contrast the focus of virtual care sessions to in person sessions. This study will also ask what aspects of virtual care need to be changed.
Approach
This study will be divided into two parts. The first part will consist of an online survey about the effectiveness of virtual care through the clinician and parents’/youths’ points of view as well as their thoughts on the future use of virtual care and technology at Holland Bloorview. A subgroup of ten participants from the clinician and parent/youth surveys will take part in an individual interview afterwards where they will be able to talk in depth about their virtual care experiences.
The second part of the study will be a deep dive into an onsite Holland Bloorview treatment (speech, occupational or physical therapy) session and a Zoom-based one. The session content, engagement and technology function will be compared and contrasted between each session. All participants and their clinicians will then be interviewed separately to discuss their experiences with each intervention session setting.
Impact
Study results will inform virtual care practices, processes and technology at Holland Bloorview and, if the results indicate that virtual care has merit, will support the build of a sustainable service delivery model that is integral and impactful to clients and families and provides greater equity as far as access to care. We hope that the learnings from this study will also help to guide virtual care at other pediatric rehabilitation centres nationally and internationally.
Funding
This project was funded by the Centres for Leadership and the generous support of donors and Holland Bloorview Foundation.
Principal Investigators
Sally Lindsay, Co-Principal Investigator
Virginia Wright, Co-Principal Investigator
Research Team
Samantha Alfaro, Project Youth Perspective
Carly Cermak, Project Advisor
Lindsey Crawford, Project Advisor
Andrea Hickling, Project Team Member
Lisa Kakonge, Activity Contributor
Alifa Khan, Project Family Leader
Gloria Lee, Research Manager
Andrea MacDonald, Clinical Co-Lead
Joanne Maxwell, Project Advisor
Chuanlin Zhou, Research Student