Improving telehealth for persons with multiple sclerosis – a cross-sectional study from the Australian MS longitudinal study.

Autor:	Learmonth, YC, Galna, B., Laslett, LL, van der Mei, I., Marck, CH
Předmět:	MULTIPLE sclerosis treatment MEDICAL care use CROSS-sectional method STATISTICAL models AUSTRALIANS SOCIAL determinants of health RESEARCH funding BODY mass index DISEASE duration LOGISTIC regression analysis QUESTIONNAIRES SEX distribution DESCRIPTIVE statistics SEVERITY of illness index AGE distribution SYMPTOM burden FUNCTIONAL status DISEASE prevalence TELEMEDICINE LONGITUDINAL method THEMATIC analysis HEALTH planning ODDS ratio QUALITY assurance SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors PATIENT satisfaction DATA analysis software CONFIDENCE intervals DISEASE relapse COVID-19 pandemic PATIENTS' attitudes REGRESSION analysis COMORBIDITY EDUCATIONAL attainment
Zdroj:	Disability & Rehabilitation; Oct2024, Vol. 46 Issue 20, p4755-4762, 8p
Abstrakt:	Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare delivery, especially for people with chronic disease. We investigated telehealth use by persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the COVID-19 pandemic and their suggestions to improve their telehealth experience. Methods: From persons with MS, we collected data on demographic, disease-related and social determinants of health, telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic, satisfaction with telehealth, and suggestions to improve telehealth. We conducted univariate log-binomial regression to establish factors associated with telehealth use versus no use, summarised experiences and suggestions for improvement with frequency tables, and conducted thematic analysis on free-text suggestions for improvement. Results: Of 1,485 participants, 69.8% used telehealth during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only small differences were observed for demographic, disease and social health determinants between telehealth users and non-users. Most participants who used telehealth had good or very good experiences (new providers:74.3%; existing providers:78.6%). The most common suggestion for improving telehealth experience was "guidance on preparing for telehealth sessions." Participants also wanted expansion in telehealth availability and utility. Conclusion: Persons with MS in Australia commonly used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and were generally satisfied with their experiences. Implementing the suggested improvements will help optimise telehealth for persons with MS. Registration: N/A. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Australians with multiple sclerosis (MS) had good or very good experiences of telehealth during the first year of the pandemic. Telehealth is a useful consultation tool for many rehabilitation professions and may be appropriate for use across the whole MS population. To improve the delivery of rehabilitation through telehealth, provision of better guidance on preparing for telehealth consultations and provision of digital equipment to monitor their health is wanted by persons with MS. Rehabilitation professionals and researchers should take opportunities to identify if proficiency in the English language and cultural background may influence experiences with telehealth in persons with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze:	Complementary Index
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