Embracing videoconferencing interview applications beyond COVID-19: scoping review-guided implications for family centered services in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract Background Preventative measures at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic rendered in-person interviews unfeasible and unsafe for both research and healthcare service provision. Thus, viable alternatives became imperative, and videoconferencing bridged the gap between service delivery, community need and community safety, and increased utilization and integration of telehealth into the healthcare environment. Aim The aim of this scoping review was to review practices of videoconferencing in healthcare and how these can be applied to family-centered EHDI within the South African context. Methods Electronic bibliographic databases including Sage, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications, published in English between April 2017 and April 2021; focusing on patients and healthcare professionals’ perceptions, attitudes, and experience of videoconferencing use in healthcare. Results Findings from this review are discussed under five themes: videoconferencing use; need for videoconferencing training; videoconferencing benefits; videoconferencing challenges; and recommendations for successful videoconferencing. Generally, there is sufficient evidence of videoconferencing use across various disciplines in healthcare and satisfaction with this service delivery mode and its benefits from both healthcare professionals and patients. However, patients and healthcare professionals require training on videoconferencing use to participate fully during videoconferencing consultations and mitigate some of the challenges associated with this service delivery mode. Conclusions These findings provided solid evidence-based guidance for the main study’s methodology; and raised significant implications for effective and contextually relevant Family-centered-EHDI programs within the South African context.