Caregiver Perceptions of a Telehealth Wellness Program

• Published in: The American journal of occupational therapy 2017-07, Vol.71 (4), p.7104350010p1-7104350010p5
• Main Authors: Serwe, Katrina M, Hersch, Gayle I, Pickens, Noralyn Davel, Pancheri, Karen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attitude to Health; Caregivers; Customer satisfaction; Data Analysis; Educational Needs; Female; Focus Groups; Forecasts and trends; Health education; Health Promotion; Humans; Learning Processes; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational therapy; Patient Education as Topic; Pilot Projects; Practice; Qualitative Research; Teaching methods; Technology application; Telemedicine; Wellness programs
• ISSN: 0272-9490; 1943-7676
• DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2017.025619

We sought to understand caregivers' experience of an education-based wellness program delivered using telehealth. In this qualitative pilot study, 4 caregivers participated in a focus group after completing a 6-wk telehealth program. Data analysis involved open coding, thematic analysis, and coding triangulation. Two major themes emerged. The first, "I feel like I am now prepared," included the subthemes of strategies for caregiver self-maintenance, the understanding that caregiving is a normal process, and the value of a group experience. The second theme, "It was just a good interaction," included the subthemes of benefits of telehealth, challenges of telehealth, and process of learning the technology. Participant discussion of the content learned and the value of group support indicated that telehealth was effective in both promoting learning and facilitating relationships. Even with challenges, participants reported an overall positive experience. Telehealth holds promise for increasing access to health promotion programs.