Feasibility, Acceptability, and Health Outcomes Associated With Telehealth for Children in Families With Limited English Proficiency. 2024
BACKGROUND Telehealth use in pediatrics increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and may improve health care access. It may also exacerbate health care disparities among families with limited English proficiency (LEP). OBJECTIVE To systematically review the feasibility, acceptability, and/or associations between telehealth delivery and health outcomes for interventions delivered synchronously in the United States. METHODS PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. METHODS Original research exploring pediatric health outcomes after telehealth delivery and studies that explored the feasibility and acceptability including surveys and qualitative studies. METHODS Patients 0 to 18 years with LEP and/or pediatric caregivers with LEP. METHODS Two authors independently screened abstracts, conducted full-text review, extracted information using a standardized form, and assessed study quality. A third author resolved disagreements. RESULTS Of 1831 articles identified, 9 were included in the review. Half of the studies explored videoconferencing and the other half studied health care delivered by telephone. Feasibility studies explored telehealth for children with anxiety disorders and mobile phone support for substance abuse treatment among adolescents. Acceptability studies assessed parental medical advice-seeking behaviors and caregivers' general interest in telehealth. Health outcomes studied included follow-up of home parenteral nutrition, developmental screening, and cognitive behavioral therapy. CONCLUSIONS The articles were heterogeneous in approach and quality. CONCLUSIONS Telehealth appears acceptable and feasible among children in families with LEP, with a limited evidence base for specific health outcomes. We provide recommendations both for the implementation of pediatric telehealth and future research. CRD42020204541.