Factors Associated with Device, Internet and Videoconferencing Use Amongst Individuals with Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Videoconferencing (VC) has the potential to improve access to quality healthcare for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require intensive and ongoing rehabilitation post-injury. Gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) use, access, and skills, however, may undermine equi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Healthcare (Basel) 2024-07, Vol.12 (14), p.1371
Main Authors: Chuah, Sarah L, Whiting, Diane L, Gates, Thomas M, Simpson, Grahame K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Brain
Brain research
Chronic illnesses
Computer literacy
Demographic aspects
Digital divide
Health aspects
Injuries
internet
Internet access
Methods
Pandemics
Personal computers
Population
Questionnaires
Rehabilitation
Self-efficacy
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Skills
Smartphones
Surveys
technology
telehealth
Telemedicine
telerehabilitation
Traumatic brain injury
Video teleconferencing
Videoconferencing
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Summary:Videoconferencing (VC) has the potential to improve access to quality healthcare for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who require intensive and ongoing rehabilitation post-injury. Gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) use, access, and skills, however, may undermine equitable participation in remotely delivered healthcare and rehabilitation. This cross-sectional study sought to identify which demographic, injury-related, and psychological factors are associated with gaps in digital inclusion amongst individuals with a TBI. Between March 2020 and December 2023, 186 adults with a moderate-to-severe TBI who were aged 18-65 years and were within five years post-injury completed a range of self-report measures. The results demonstrated that most individuals with a moderate-to-severe TBI reported high levels of technology skills and access and used the internet from multiple devices daily. While injury severity was unrelated to technology use, this finding may reflect an overestimation of technology use amongst individuals with the most severe injuries, who were excluded from the study. Several demographic and psychological factors were found to predict VC readiness and are presented within a model to guide clinicians considering client suitability for VC rehabilitation. The current findings indicate that the use of VC in clinical settings following a moderate-to-severe TBI is feasible and suggest that individuals with a TBI may benefit from the greater provision of remotely delivered healthcare than is currently offered.
ISSN:2227-9032
2227-9032
DOI:10.3390/healthcare12141371