Telehealth is a virtual healthcare service that gives children the same healthcare experience without visiting a doctor’s office or hospital and these visits especially benefit children with special healthcare needs. Telehealth visits benefit children with special healthcare needs in many ways. Children experience less stress, spend less time away from their homes, and encounter fewer germs when they do not have to visit a doctor’s office or hospital. Children are able to stay in their “safe space” – their home and receive beneficial healthcare without entering an uncomfortable place – a doctor’s office or hospital. Communication and building a relationship between provider and patient is a child with special healthcare needs and their parents’ main priority on their healthcare journey. It has been reported that the many benefits of these telehealth visits include: 1) parents and the child feeling more comfortable, 2) the parents and the child having a one-on-one visit with a provider without being rushed, and 3) visits accommodating both the parents’ and child’s schedule.
Parents play a big role in the treatment of their child’s healthcare journey. It is reported that parents feel very free to share their opinions, concerns and questions with the doctor during Telehealth visits. Parents are able to develop a relationship with the doctor – a relationship that is as beneficial as the one that they would create at a face-to-face visit. The parents will develop a relationship with the doctor so that the doctor can develop a relationship with their child and make the child feel comfortable communicating their feelings. Telehealth visits are very beneficial and show promising results for parents and children and encourage the healthcare community to expand this healthcare service and educate more people who have children with special healthcare needs to embrace telehealth services and live a healthy life.
References
“Telehealth for families of children with special healthcare needs.” TELEHEALTH.HHS.GOV. Health Resources & Services Administration, 5 Jan. 2022. Web. 12 Aug. 2022. https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/preparing-for-a-video-visit/family-centered-healthcare/