Telehealth Evaluation of Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinician and Caregiver Perspectives

Objective: The objective of this study was to present clinician and caregiver perspectives regarding telehealth neurodevelopmental evaluation delivered at the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, we sought to describe telehealth neurodevelopmental evaluations, examine associations between child characteristics and diagnostic factors, determine the impact of technology and family barriers, and report on clinician and caregiver satisfaction with telehealth evaluation. Methods: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person clinical services at a large children's hospital neurodevelopmental clinic were transitioned to telehealth. Data are presented for 254 remote evaluations of children (18-212 months; referral concern: 51% autism spectrum disorder [ASD], 24% developmental delay/intellectual disability, 25% other neurodevelopmental concern) conducted from May to July 2020. Data were gathered from electronic health records as well as clinician and caregiver surveys. Results: A clinical diagnosis was provided in 72% of telehealth evaluations. Clinicians rated diagnostic certainty as completely or somewhat certain in 74% of evaluations. Certainty ratings were higher for evaluations in which a diagnosis of ASD was provided. Although technology and family challenges were reported, clinicians rarely identified these as disruptive to the evaluation process. Clinicians reported satisfaction with various aspects of delivering telehealth. Caregivers endorsed high satisfaction with receipt of telehealth and reduced travel burden. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly transformed service delivery for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and provided an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the deployment of telehealth evaluation to meet the need for ongoing diagnostic care. Our findings suggest that telehealth holds significant promise for neurodevelopmental assessment both within the context of a global pandemic and beyond.

Automated summary

This study investigated clinician and caregiver perspectives on telehealth neurodevelopmental evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing the effectiveness of remote evaluations, the impact of technology and family barriers, and the satisfaction levels of clinicians and caregivers. Results indicated that most cases in remote evaluations received a clinical diagnosis, with clinicians having a certain level of certainty in their diagnoses. Despite challenges, clinicians and caregivers expressed high satisfaction with various aspects of telehealth.