Describe the population receiving orthotic/prosthetic services using telehealth in Australia, and their experience and satisfaction: a quantitative and qualitative investigation

Telehealth may help meet the growing demand for orthotic/prosthetic services. Despite the resurgence of telehealth due to COVID-19, there is limited evidence to inform policy and funding decisions, nor guide practitioners. Participants were adult orthosis/prosthesis users or parents/guardians of child orthosis/prosthesis users. Participants were convenience sampled following an orthotic/prosthetic telehealth service. An online survey included: demographics, Telehealth Usability Questionnaire, and the Orthotic Prosthetic Users Survey – Client Satisfaction with Services. A subsample of participants took part in a semi-structured interview. Most participants were tertiary educated, middle-aged, female, and lived in metropolitan or regional centres. Most telehealth services were for routine reviews. Most participants chose to use telehealth given the distance to the orthotic/prosthetic service, irrespective of whether they lived in metropolitan cities or regional areas. Participants were highly satisfied with the telehealth mode and the clinical service they received via telehealth. While orthosis/prosthesis users were highly satisfied with the clinical service received, and the telehealth mode, technical issues affected reliability and detracted from the user experience. Interviews highlighted the importance of high-quality interpersonal communication, agency and control over the decision to use telehealth, and a degree of health literacy from a lived experience of using an orthosis/prosthesis. Orthotic/prosthetic users were highly satisfied with the clinical services they received via telehealth.Satisfaction was linked to having agency and control over the decision to use telehealth, a clear understanding of the purpose of the appointment and any requirements, and a degree of health literacy that facilitated communication.Orthosis/prosthesis users and practitioners can make informed choices about using telehealth which suggests that many telehealth guidelines maybe unnecessarily risk averse.Telehealth is a useful tool to overcome barriers to accessing orthotic/prosthetic care for people in both metropolitan and regional areas.There are opportunities to support clinicians with targeted telehealth education to improve practice and reduce barriers to high-quality telehealth services. Orthotic/prosthetic users were highly satisfied with the clinical services they received via telehealth. Satisfaction was linked to having agency and control over the decision to use telehealth, a clear understanding of the purpose of the appointment and any requirements, and a degree of health literacy that facilitated communication. Orthosis/prosthesis users and practitioners can make informed choices about using telehealth which suggests that many telehealth guidelines maybe unnecessarily risk averse. Telehealth is a useful tool to overcome barriers to accessing orthotic/prosthetic care for people in both metropolitan and regional areas. There are opportunities to support clinicians with targeted telehealth education to improve practice and reduce barriers to high-quality telehealth services.