280 - Caregiver Perceptions of ADHD Care in School-based Telehealth

Poster Number: 280
Publication Number: 280.346

Claire MacGeorge, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Jada M. Johnson, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; David G. Bundy, MUSC Children's Hospital, Charleston, SC, United States; Jillian Harvey, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; Kathryn L. Cristaldi, Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, Charleston, SC, United States

Background: School-based health centers have been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a care delivery model for youth who do not have access to a consistent source of health care, including behavioral health. Telehealth is frequently incorporated into this model for efficiency and convenience.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore caregiver perceptions of school-based care for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) delivered by telehealth to an underserved population.

Design/Methods: As part of a larger study examining asynchronous visits, we enrolled twelve caregivers of children with ADHD cared for by two providers in a school-based telehealth program serving Title I schools. The caregivers completed an enrollment survey asking about technology preferences adapted from the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire. We performed semi-structured key informant interviews with 10 caregiver participants. Two participants were lost to follow-up or unable to be reached. Thematic analysis was performed by two independent reviewers to determine recurrent perceptions.

Results: Caregiver participants were female and Black, non-Hispanic with access to a phone and computer with internet access. In the enrollment survey, nearly all respondents rated a 4 or 5 (on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree) to questions asking about ease of use, access, acceptability, and satisfaction with telehealth (mean range: 3.9 to 4.3). Caregivers were most interested in education regarding improving the child’s homework environment at home. In key informant interviews, participants expressed frustrations with the ADHD diagnosis and medication administration as well as fear of the label or misdiagnosis of ADHD. School-based telehealth was convenient and supportive, though limited to the school year timeline. Telehealth was found to be convenient with appropriate visit reminders. Convenience and support emerged as consistent positive themes regarding ADHD in school-based telehealth. Participants did not endorse privacy concerns with telehealth (0%).Conclusion(s): We found that our caregiver participants appreciated school-based telehealth as a convenient, supportive option for their child’s ADHD care. These programs have the potential to improve access to care in a way that is satisfactory to caregivers.
Table 1. Demographics of Caregiver Participants (n=12)
Figure 1. Caregiver Perceptions of ADHD, Telehealth and School-based telehealth