There’s been plenty of buzz about telehealth the past several weeks.
Will Medicare stop covering it for senior citizens? Will the federal government shutdown prevent access to critical Medicare and Medicaid telehealth services?
Underlying these questions is an assumption that’s quietly solidified during the past five years: Telehealth works.
Research — and lived experience — bears that out.
Yet I know some parents still worry about whether virtual options can diagnose their neurodivergent child.
It’s prudent to ask that question — telehealth has only recently appeared on the medical scene. But the answer keeps coming back as a resounding yes (and not just from me!).
A comparative study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry last fall compared telehealth with face-to-face consultations across a broad range of conditions (including autism spectrum disorder). The comparisons found “good agreement and reliability,” according to the results, and researchers noted that “telehealth holds promise for psychiatric assessments.”
Two reviews — a July review published by PLOS Digital Health of participants in ASD telehealth assessments and a 2022 scoping review of ASD telehealth diagnoses — found similar results. The 2022 review, which was fairly early in the widespread use of telehealth, determined that telehealth methods were between 80 and 91 percent accurate when compared with in-person diagnosis. (It’s worth noting up here that study authors suggested specific ways to resolve concerns, and the suggestions cover steps we already take at Pariva. More on that below.)
On the benefits side, the reviews listed overall positive reactions from both clinicians and participants:
- Increased convenience, flexibility and efficiency for both clinician and family.
- Access to timely care. (In-person diagnostic appointments can take months to get due to shortages of specialized professionals!)
- Clinical effectiveness.
- Ability to observe a child’s behavior in his or her normal environment.
- Cost savings (including no transportation costs or need to take time off work).
- Parents reported satisfaction with the telehealth procedures and liked being involved in leading the assessment activities.
In addition to the benefits noted above — headlined by the ability to get much faster diagnoses (we don’t even require a pediatrician referral for a diagnostic evaluation) — we also notice that younger generation tends to be extremely comfortable with tech platforms because they’ve grown up around them.
One drawback in the studies, not surprisingly, was tech issues. The authors recommended offering basic IT training to clinicians so they could address common tech hiccups.
Other potential snags: Difficulty assessing patients who were extremely young or whose ASD symptoms either were subtle or the cause of severe impairment, distractions in the home, and difficulty getting parents to understand how to guide certain tasks or play scenarios.
For these concerns, researchers recommended optimizing telehealth diagnostic protocols, both in terms of infrastructure and clinician training. They also recommended providing clear instructions to families ahead of time so they could prepare and have any needed items on hand.
Pariva has clear telehealth guidelines designed to maximize results while ensuring a child’s comfort and confidentiality. We use a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform; explain how the sessions work ahead of time; recommend that caregivers find a quiet, comfortable space with good lighting and limited distractions; have portions of the assessment that include direct interaction between the examiner and child, with support if necessary from the caregiver; and follow standard testing procedures as closely as possible, documenting any adjustments made for the online format.
We see tremendous potential in telehealth, both now and as it continues to improve and evolve. It’s a powerful tool in overcoming provider shortages and other barriers to ASD diagnoses, thus enabling parents to pursue valuable early interventions.
Learn more about Pariva’s diagnostic assessment program, or check out our Family Support Program, which helps families address challenging child behaviors (even without a diagnosis). We’re here to provide families with hope and help — without the hassle.