Effectiveness of telehealth in providing preventive oral health care: A pilot evaluation of patient, carer, and clinician experience

Abstract

Background: This pilot study aimed to characterize the experience, satisfaction, and views on feasibility of an oral health primary prevention telehealth service at a public dental hospital's department of pediatric dentistry, from the viewpoint of patients, carers, and clinicians. Methods: Data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire for parents/guardians, a focus group for clinicians; and were summarized using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and by thematic analysis for the qualitative data. Results: Thirty-seven parents/guardians and four clinicians were included. The mean patient age was 5 years (SD = 3.3). Over half of the parents (51.4%) were aged 30–39 years. There was high satisfaction (97.3%) and acceptability (81.1%) of the telehealth service. Native English-speakers were significantly more likely to agree that telehealth was an acceptable mode of preventive care and that they would use it again (p = 0.033). Parents reporting difficulty traveling to dental appointments were significantly more likely to score favorably in categories of usefulness, technical quality, and satisfaction relating to telehealth (all p < 0.001). Important themes from the clinician focus group included specific benefits for patients with special needs or who live rurally, reduced stress on families, and an enhanced focus on prevention. Conclusions: The findings suggest ongoing benefits of providing preventive oral health services as an adjunct to face-to-face care, especially to the identified subset of patients who will benefit the most.