Publication Date
7-18-2022
Keywords
telehealth, telemedicine, patient and clinician satisfaction, behavioral health, COVID-19, no-shows, hybrid virtual
Abstract
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have major and long-lasting impacts on health care delivery and mental health. As health care shifted to telehealth, legislation was adjusted to expand telehealth allowances, creating a unique opportunity to elucidate outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess long-term patient and clinician satisfaction and outcomes with virtual behavioral health.
Methods: Data were obtained over 16 months from surveys to patients and clinicians receiving/providing virtual treatment. Outcomes data also were collected from medical records of adults receiving in-person and virtual behavioral health treatment. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Groups were compared using various chi-squared tests for categorical variables, Likert response trends over time, and conditional independence, with Wilcoxon rank-sum or Jonckheere trend test used to assess continuous variables. P-values of ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Patients gave high ratings to virtual treatment and indicated a preference for virtual formats. Both patient and clinician preference for virtual visits increased significantly with time, and many clinicians perceived virtual services to be equally effective to in-person. Virtual programs had higher completion rates, attendance rates, and number of treatment visits, suggesting that virtual behavioral health had equivalent or better outcomes to in-person treatment and that attitudes toward telehealth changed over time.
Conclusions: If trends found in this study continue, telehealth may emerge as a preferred option long term This is important considering the increase in mental health needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the eventuality that in-person restrictions ease as the pandemic subsides.
Recommended Citation
Waite MR, Diab S, Adefisoye J. Virtual behavioral health treatment satisfaction and outcomes across time. J Patient Cent Res Rev. 2022;9:158-65. doi: 10.17294/2330-0698.1918
Online Appendix A
Included in
Behavioral Medicine Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Psychiatry Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Quality Improvement Commons, Telemedicine Commons
Submitted
October 11th, 2021
Accepted
December 9th, 2021
