Perceptions of Australian osteopaths on the use of telehealth for patient care: Barriers and enablers for implementation

Grace, S; Engel, R; Mastronardo, C; Muddle, L; Fleischmann, M; Vaughan, B; Fazalbhoy, A

Perceptions of Australian osteopaths on the use of telehealth for patient care: Barriers and enablers for implementation

Grace, S Engel, R Mastronardo, C Muddle, L Fleischmann, M Vaughan, B

Fazalbhoy, A

Permalink

Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024, 51
Issue Date:: 2024-03-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (425.16 kB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Grace, S
dc.contributor.author	Engel, R
dc.contributor.author	Mastronardo, C
dc.contributor.author	Muddle, L
dc.contributor.author	Fleischmann, M
dc.contributor.author	Vaughan, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8623-4558
dc.contributor.author	Fazalbhoy, A
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-02T04:40:15Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-02T04:40:15Z
dc.date.issued	2024-03-01
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 2024, 51
dc.identifier.issn	1746-0689
dc.identifier.issn	1878-0164
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182827
dc.description.abstract	Background: Telehealth is increasingly becoming a significant strategy for the delivery of healthcare in Australia in a wide range of professions. Recent physical distancing requirements were a catalyst for professions such as osteopathy (where the dominant care model is manual therapy) to make significant changes to adapt their approach for telehealth platforms. Objective: To explore the perceptions of Australian osteopaths’ use of telehealth for patient care, and the associated barriers and enablers of its implementation. Methods: The Theoretical Domains Framework informed the development of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with osteopaths. Transcriptions were analysed thematically. Results: Nine osteopaths participated in semi-structured interviews. They described their beliefs about osteopathy and the challenge telehealth has posed to their professional identity as healthcare providers. Osteopaths described uses ranging from simply staying connected with patients, through to innovative ways to assess and teach patients how to self-treat and self-manage their conditions. Conclusion: Enablers for the use of telehealth by participating osteopaths were face-to-face practice restrictions imposed during the pandemic lockdown and acknowledgement of the potential for telehealth to offer convenient and beneficial care, particularly for patients with limited access. Participating osteopaths who saw their value and self-worth as healthcare providers of manual therapy, and a lack of training in telehealth platforms, were major barriers to its uptake in osteopathic practice.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCI LTD
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.ijosm.2023.100696
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
dc.subject.classification	Orthopedics
dc.subject.classification	4208 Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
dc.title	Perceptions of Australian osteopaths on the use of telehealth for patient care: Barriers and enablers for implementation
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	51
utslib.for	1104 Complementary and Alternative Medicine
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/School of Public Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-01-02T04:40:14Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	51

Abstract:

Background: Telehealth is increasingly becoming a significant strategy for the delivery of healthcare in Australia in a wide range of professions. Recent physical distancing requirements were a catalyst for professions such as osteopathy (where the dominant care model is manual therapy) to make significant changes to adapt their approach for telehealth platforms. Objective: To explore the perceptions of Australian osteopaths’ use of telehealth for patient care, and the associated barriers and enablers of its implementation. Methods: The Theoretical Domains Framework informed the development of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with osteopaths. Transcriptions were analysed thematically. Results: Nine osteopaths participated in semi-structured interviews. They described their beliefs about osteopathy and the challenge telehealth has posed to their professional identity as healthcare providers. Osteopaths described uses ranging from simply staying connected with patients, through to innovative ways to assess and teach patients how to self-treat and self-manage their conditions. Conclusion: Enablers for the use of telehealth by participating osteopaths were face-to-face practice restrictions imposed during the pandemic lockdown and acknowledgement of the potential for telehealth to offer convenient and beneficial care, particularly for patients with limited access. Participating osteopaths who saw their value and self-worth as healthcare providers of manual therapy, and a lack of training in telehealth platforms, were major barriers to its uptake in osteopathic practice.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182827