Video visits and access to care in pediatric rehabilitation therapies in the time of a pandemic

Abstract

Telemedicine has emerged as a vital tool for continuing to provide therapy to children with disabilities throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. While video visits have certain advantages, such as the ability to see the children in their home, they also have potential drawbacks, as some exam maneuvers and objective measurement tools cannot be performed virtually. The increased utilization of telemedicine also raises questions about access to care. Video visits can remove the transportation and time barriers that some families face. However, they raise new barriers, such as a requirement for home internet access and insurance coverage, that may negatively impact access to care for certain patients. Moving forward, a combination of clinic and video visits in pediatric rehabilitation may be the best way to harness the advantages of both modalities while minimizing their disadvantages. Our article discusses issues relating to rehabilitation therapy delivered via virtual visits, but further study is needed to examine whether video visits achieve similar outcomes to clinic visits.