- Is the presence of telehealth described in Balogun, et. al. (2025) what you expected? Did the authors discuss a specific use of telehealth that surprised you? Why or why not? Yes, the presence of telehealth described in the article is what I expected for the most part. I enjoyed the discourse surrounding chronic illnesses and disability support. I was not aware of client features, such as patient monitoring tools that healthcare providers use to track patients at home. Another thing that really stood out to me was using telehealth to support survivors of domestic violence in a discreet way that would allow for their abusers to be unaware.
- Did you agree with the discussion about the benefits of telehealth for vulnerable populations? Why or why not? Yes, I agree with the discussion about the benefits of telehealth for vulnerable populations. The article talked about telehealth helping people with disabilities, those without transportation, or those with a lack of adequate care in their area. These are all issues that telehealth can remedy.
- Were there instances of the use of telehealth that the authors did not discuss that you believe they should have included? As a school social worker, I think telehealth could be used for check-ins and counseling for students in online school programs, as Atlanta Public Schools has. Telehealth could also be used in the school system to assist nurses. The article did a good job in discussing the different uses of telehealth, but I think telehealth in the education system should garner more attention.
- In your opinion, what was the most significant challenge regarding the use of telehealth? To me, the most significant challenge in using telehealth is the digital divide. especially for our older adults. It comes down to this: if people aren’t comfortable using the technology, they won’t use it.
Zhu, et. al. (2024)
- What, if anything, surprised you about the response of the practitioners? Why did it surprise you (or not)? I was not surprised by the response of the practitioners. It didn’t surprise me because even though, as service providers, we might prefer face-to-face interactions. If that method of care is taken like it was during the pandemic, you need to adapt and adjust. So, with that forced adaptation comes familiarity and comfortability with telehealth services.
- Was the use of telemental health at the rate you expected? If yes, why did you think that, and if no, why not? Yes, the use of telemental health was at the rate i expected during the pandemic due to there being no other viable option. However, I was surprised by the continued reliance after the pandemic.
- There were variations regarding the use of telemedicine going forward. Talk about two of the factors that affected whether a practitioner thought they would continue using telemedicine. One of the factors that affected whether a practitioner thought they would continue using telemedicine was serving rural geographic regions. If the practitioner served in a more rural area, they were more likely to continue using telemedicine. Another factor was that providers whose primary reimbursement was out of pocket pay were more likely to use telemedicine services than those who relied on insurance or salary-based reimbursement.
- What is your personal feeling about using telehealth in your practice? Why do you have that opinion? In my practice I would use telehealth because I know I would have a greater reach to people who may not be able to get services face to face even though I don’t prefer it. I don’t prefer telehealth because I equate it kind of to online school. I know that I am a better student when I am face to face in the classroom learning than with online learning. I just focus better in person. Therefore, I would be worried that, using telehealth, I might not be as intentional and focused as I would be face-to-face.
Hey Avery,
I felt that your post was thorough and also offered another perspective that I hadn’t considered. I have not yet worked as a social worker, as I did not pursue social work for my bachelor’s degree. For another use of telehealth, my previous practicum with a housing organization came to mind, so I considered how telehealth could connect clients to those related resources. Your experience as a school social worker offers a valuable perspective on telehealth in education that I hadn’t thought about. I can understand why you feel that could be beneficial for students. I can also deeply relate to your concerns about using telehealth in your own practice. Like you, I believe I would be more engaged and confident in in-person sessions as well.
Avery,
I agree that using telehealth can be helpful for DV survivors. It is important to assure that they have a safe place at home in order to meet with the clinician. That is part of why some professionals responsible for the safety of children refused remote safety checks and, instead, figured out a way to see them in person. If the abuser is not in the home, than this observation makes some sense. It feels safer to talk with someone from your home.
I think the illness monitoring was one of the first things clinicians went to with telehealth during the pandemic. People would absolutely not come to the doctor, so at least they could get some kind of idea on how the patient was doing.
While I might agree with you regarding older adults, I think the digital divide is significantly broader than the ability to use the technology. I think the authors we discussing whether or not you even have access. We were making some strides in this area with the infastructure bill, but this administration has taken us back a bit. I would also tell you that older adults have come a very, very long way when it comes to using technology – and younger older adults are all in. They just use their phones, not a computer. If they can get access to a tablet, great, but a phone will work.
I think practitioners also move toward or away from telehealth because they think the client doesn’t benefit. It’s probably debatable whether that’s because the client tells them that or they think that – and maybe that partly relates to their comfort with the medium – but there is an element of results and positive feedback that comes into play as well.
Your point about focus is a good one. And don’t get me started talking about online, asynchronous education. But I have found that necessity if truly the mother of invention. Because I know that many students have the problem you describe, I work really hard to engage you all during the entire semester. That’s why you don’t have material that I put up at the beginning and then never change. I try to learn what works and what doesn’t, and then modify my techniques or information accordingly.
Isn’t that what therapy is really all about, whether in person or not? I think part of the secret is learning the skills. We talked about that in last weeks readings about therapist wellness, right? Build your skills and it will improve.
Thanks for the discussion and thanks for covering the questions. You can just talk about the article as you go along and answer the questions rather than list them. You might find that you let your mind wander even more in the article and expand you thinking when you aren’t quite as focused on the specific questions. I know, I do expect you to answer them, but when you talk more broadly you might find you think of even more things beyonds the questions. Just a thought.
Dr P