Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan YW (1), Ho MW (1), Leung KH (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Therapy Department, Pok Oi Hospital
Introduction :
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare delivery, making telehealth a viable alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy. This shift is particularly relevant to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), who may benefit from the accessibility of remote therapy. Kruse et al. (2017) and Yi et al. (2021) suggested telehealth can enhance patient satisfaction and engagement, offering increased accessibility and carer involvement.
References Kruse, C. S., Krowski, N., Rodriguez, B., Tran, L., Vela, J., & Brooks, M. (2017). Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ Open, 7(8), e016242. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016242 Yi, J. S., Pittman, C. A., Price, C. L., Nieman, C. L., & Oh, E. S. (2021).
Telemedicine and Dementia Care: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 22(7), 1396–1402.e18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2021.03.015
Objectives :
To compare patient satisfaction in occupational therapy group sessions for participants with MCI in telehealth and face-to-face formats to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each delivery method.
Methodology :
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among participants who attended one of the four talks from December 14, 2023, to December 4, 2024. The 1-hour talks covered the knowledge of major neurocognitive disorder, MCI and memory decline in ageing and promoted the non-pharmacological interventions and self-management of the above diseases. Participants from face-to-face and telehealth groups were invited to provide feedback via a questionnaire assessing knowledge enhancement, therapist competence, and session satisfaction. The survey was accessible through paper forms or by scanning a Quick Response code.
Result & Outcome :
From the 15 eligible questionnaires, data revealed comparable effectiveness between telehealth and face-to-face delivery methods. Knowledge enhancement satisfaction was marginally higher in face-to-face sessions (100%) compared to telehealth (>90%), suggesting that traditional delivery might offer slight advantages in information retention. However, telehealth demonstrated superior results in therapist competence perception (41.7% vs 33.3%), indicating that virtual delivery does not compromise professional rapport. The higher satisfaction with session duration in telehealth (91.7% vs 66.6 %) suggests that virtual formats may better accommodate participants’ preferences for time management. The strong willingness to utilise future telehealth services (>90%) and high satisfaction with information clarity (>80%) demonstrate the viability of virtual delivery methods. The 75% satisfaction rate with telehealth convenience particularly supports its value for mobility-challenged patients. Participants also highlighted a desire for advanced knowledge regarding cognitive care and dementia prevention. However, several concerns were noted, including a lack of familiarity with using smartphones for telehealth, difficulties viewing small text on screens, and inadequate visual aids. The results were then presented to all therapists, leading to the implementation of follow-up actions such as providing guidance via phone calls, enlarging text for better visibility, and incorporating images to enhance understanding. These findings indicate that telehealth can effectively complement traditional face-to-face sessions, offering comparable satisfaction levels while providing unique advantages in accessibility and time efficiency.
