Clinician perspectives delivering telehealth interventions to children/families impacted by pediatric traumatic brain injury

Purpose: Technological advances have made the delivery of psychological interventions via web-based platforms increasingly feasible. In recent years, there has been growth in the delivery of psychological interventions through web-based modalities, that is, telepsychology. Although there is evidence supporting the usability and feasibility of telepsychology for a range of populations, there is limited literature on clinician perceptions delivering telepsychology, particularly to pediatric rehabilitation populations. In this mixed-methods study, we report on clinician perspectives and experiences delivering telepsychology to children/families impacted by pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Method: Seventeen clinicians (psychologists and advanced psychology doctoral students) who delivered telepsychology interventions to children/families impacted by pediatric brain injuries completed surveys and interviews.

Results: Overall, clinicians reported that telepsychology was equivalent to face-to-face treatment in many regards (e.g. therapeutic alliance, weekly progress, child/family engagement, and establishing rapport). Clinicians reported a number of advantages of telepsychology over face-to-face interventions for this pediatric population including greater ease of scheduling, increased understanding of the family and home environments, and less caregiver stigma of behavioral health care. Disadvantages of telepsychology included difficulties reading nonverbal cues, logistical/technological issues, and greater disruptions during sessions.

Conclusions: Findings provide an important foundation for future investigations examining the merits of telepsychology versus traditional treatment for both pediatric rehabilitation populations.