Research Articles about Telehealth OT
Many of our fellow occupational therapy professionals, who work on the frontlines in hospitals and nursing facilities, are being called into unprecedented circumstances because of the coronavirus pandemic. Our hearts are with all of you.
Meanwhile, occupational therapy professionals who work in school-based, early-intervention, outpatient, and some home-health settings have found themselves “closing the doors” of their traditional practices and are now turning to telehealth. While this type of care delivery may feel like uncharted territory for OT, luckily, it is not. In fact, telehealth OT has been studied by researchers for years.
And, the research we have been able to find on this topic is promising.
Telehealth OT is a shift for many of us. But, it is a natural fit for our skillset of meeting patients right where they are, and working with them to achieve significant and lasting changes in their health and lives.
This list of telehealth OT research articles has been compiled for policy decision-makers, occupational therapy professionals, our healthcare colleagues, and our clients. We want you to be able to see the research for yourself. Because, as OTs, our work of helping patients stay as healthy as possible feels more important than ever. We have unique training in both physical rehab and mental health that we know will benefit many patients right now—and we hope that healthcare systems across the globe will quickly mobilize to help us serve patients by using this safe and effective care delivery model.
Telehealth and pediatric OT research
2020 articles:
Parents’ Experiences with Implementing Therapy Home Programs for Children with Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review. Occupational Therapy In Health Care.
2019 articles:
Delivering allied health services to regional and remote participants on the autism spectrum via video-conferencing technology: lessons learned. Rural Remote Health
Implementation factors are neglected in research investigating telehealth delivery of allied health services to rural children: A scoping review. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
Telehealth as a model for providing behaviour analytic interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Parent perspectives of an occupational therapy telehealth intervention. International Journal of Telerehabilitation.
Report on the Use of Telehealth in Early Intervention in Colorado: Strengths and Challenges with Telehealth as a Service Delivery Method. International journal of telerehabilitation.
2018 articles:
Feasibility of parent training via telehealth for children with autism spectrum disorder and disruptive behavior: A demonstration pilot. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Occupation-based coaching by means of telehealth for families of young children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy
Telehealth services for children with autism spectrum disorders in rural areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Overview and recommendations. Journal of Medical Internet Research
2017 articles:
Feasibility of pediatric game-based neurorehabilitation using telehealth technologies: a case report. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
2016 articles:
Implementing school based telehealth for children with medical complexity. Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine. Available for purchase
2015 articles
Telerehabilitation Delivery of Caregiver Behavior Training for Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Telemedicine and E-Health.
Telehealth and adult-rehab OT research
2020 articles:
Feasibility of Telehealth-Delivered Home Safety Evaluations for Caregivers of Clients With Dementia. OTJR: occupation, participation and health. Available for purchase
2019 articles:
Activity performance, participation and quality of life among adults in the chronic stage after acquired brain injury-The feasibility of an occupation-based telerehabilitation intervention. Frontiers in Neurology
Efficacy of Home-Based Telerehabilitation vs In-Clinic Therapy for Adults After Stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology
Telemedicine and Multiple Sclerosis: A Comprehensive Literacy Review. Telemed Telecare. Available for purchase.
Telehealth Technologies Support Participation in Community-Based OT (CBOT) Services During Post-jail Transition and Integration. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
2018 articles:
Delivering occupational therapy hand assessment and treatment sessions via telehealth. Journal of telemedicine and telecare. Available for purchase.
Development and validation of a remote home safety protocol. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology.
Feasibility and Effectiveness of Telehealth Home Modification Interventions to Improve Safety and Perception of Performance. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Telehealth for people with spinal cord injury: A narrative review. Spinal Cord.
Telerehabilitation in rural areas: A qualitative investigation of pre-service rehabilitation professionals’ perspectives. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. *Rehab counseling
The Provider’s experience of delivering an education-based wellness program via telehealth. International Journal of Telerehabilitation.
Feasibility and Effectiveness of Telehealth Occupational Therapy Home Modification Interventions. International Journal of Telerehabilitation.
2017 articles:
Telehealth in physical medicine and rehabilitation: a narrative review. PM&R.
Home quick–occupational therapy home visits using mHealth, to facilitate discharge from acute admission back to the community. International journal of telerehabilitation.
2015 articles:
Improving quality of life and depression after stroke through telerehabilitation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Development of mHealth system for supporting self-management and remote consultation of skincare. BMC medical informatics and decision making.
2013 articles:
Tele-ergonomics. Telerehabilitation. Available for purchase.
2011 articles:
Feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial of a telephone‐delivered problem-solving: Occupational therapy intervention to reduce participation restrictions in rural breast cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy. Psycho‐Oncology. Available for purchase.
General telehealth and OT research
2020 articles:
Telehealth for global emergencies: Implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
Telerehabilitation clinical and vocational applications for assistive technology: research, opportunities, and challenges. International Journal of Telerehabilitation.
Telehealth: Enhancing Care through Technology. Rhode Island Medical Journal.
2019 articles:
An update on telehealth in allied health and interprofessional care. Journal of Allied Health
2018 articles:
Case studies in physical therapy: Transitioning a “hands-on” approach into a virtual platform 5. International Journal of Telerehabilitation.
Costs of home-based telemedicine programs: A systematic review. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care.
Telehealth in occupational therapy. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
2015 articles:
Guidelines for developing telehealth services and troubleshooting problems with telehealth technology when coaching parents to conduct functional analyses and functional communication training in their homes. Behavior Analysis in Practice.
Telehealth and occupational therapy: Integral to the triple aim of health care reform. American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Contributors
Sarah Lyon
OTR/L
Sarah Lyon, OTR/L, is the CEO of OT Potential. Sarah earned her BA from St. Olaf College and her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University. Her diverse clinical background spans multiple settings, including critical access, acute trauma, and state inpatient psychiatric hospitals. In 2011, she founded OT Potential to fulfill the industry's need for reliable, high-quality occupational therapy resources and continuing education.
As a recognized content creator, Sarah has collaborated with top healthcare brands like VeryWell Health, WebPT, and MedBridge. She blends her clinical expertise with a talent for creating clear, action-oriented content that empowers practitioners to excel. Passionate about elevating the OT profession, she has been featured on numerous industry podcasts. Sarah ultimately returned to her roots, running OT Potential and raising her family in her hometown of Aurora, Nebraska.
