Families’ and Clinicians’ Experiences With Telehealth Assessments for Autism: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review
PLOS Digital Health
Katakis, P., Frankson, P., et al. (2025).
PLOS Digital Health, 4(7), e0000931.
<div>This systematic review investigates the experiences and perceptions of care providers of children who underwent autism assessment via telepractice.</div>
National Institute for Health and Care Research Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR GOSH BRC; United Kingdom)
From database inception to October 14, 2023
<div>Any study design with relevant quantitative or qualitative data. Excludes theoretical papers, conference abstracts commentaries, editorials, and reviews.</div>
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<div>Overall, participants reported high satisfied with telehealth procedures. Benefits included increased convenience, flexibility, and efficiency (e.g., reduced costs and travel time), improved service provision and access to timely care, and enhanced clinical effectiveness. Barriers included technical difficulties, difficulties observing certain behaviors, perceived lack of accuracy, and concerns about the family’s role and safeguarding issues.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include similar geographical locations, lack of assessment procedure description, no exploration of the influence of patient characteristics on experiences, and lack of views from individuals who were unable or unwilling to attend virtual assessments. Additional research is needed to explore the optimal use of telepractice for assessing children for autism.</div>
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