Australian National University
ANU Medical School

Author Of 1 Presentation

COVID-19 Late Breaking Abstracts

LB1223 - Telehealth: another tool in the toolkit to provide usual care to people with Multiple Sclerosis during the COVID-19 pandemic. (ID 2097)

Speakers
Presentation Number
LB1223
Presentation Topic
COVID-19

Abstract

Background

On 11 March 2020 the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the number of cases and spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) characterised it as a pandemic. Evidence from prior epidemics and pandemics has demonstrated that neglect of ‘usual care’ can be an unintended consequence of prioritising an emergency response. The Australian Government introduced an expansion of subsidised telehealth consultations on March 14, 2020 in response to the pandemic. While a number of studies have examined health system responses and the experiences of clinicians in relation to the provision of routine health care during epidemics and pandemics, few have elicited the experiences of people with chronic health conditions in terms of their access to usual health care during these times.

Objectives

Our aim was to examine the experiences of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in accessing health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Methods

We adopted a qualitative methodological approach involving semi-structured interviews (n=8) and conducted a thematic analysis of interview transcripts. A purposive sample of participants aged over 18 years, with a clinical diagnosis of MS, and living in the Australian Capital Territory were recruited. Interviews were conducted between June 2020 and July 2020 via Zoom or telephone, recorded, and transcribed. Interviews lasted between 30 and 90 minutes. Data collection continued until saturation was reached.

Results

Key themes were: Assessing personal risk, Postponing usual care, and New ways of accessing care. Participants with MS were aware their condition made them more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and put measures in place to reduce social contact and, in some cases, usual care was postponed or not sought. Telehealth consultations were recognised as having benefits such as improved access, convenience, and being contactless. Limitations included an inability to read body language over the telephone, seeming less personal, and that some regular tests and observations cannot be completed remotely. Video consultations were favoured over telephone consultations. Face to face consultations remained the gold standard, however, most participants planned to incorporate them as part of their health care routine in the future.

Conclusions

Telehealth consultations have a place in providing usual care for people with MS. They offer convenience and greater access to health care professionals enabling a safer contactless option during the pandemic.

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