Barriers to Telehealth

Original Editor - Arnold Fredrick D'Souza Top Contributors - Arnold Fredrick D'Souza, Kim Jackson and Angeliki Chorti

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Introduction

Telehealth practice is increasing globally, partially in response to the sudden disruption brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth usage is not without significant barriers, specific to the setting, which need to be clearly identified beforehand and may necessitate the development of individualized strategies to sufficiently address them.

Categories of barriers to telehealth practice

Most barriers can be categorized under the following:

Socio-cultural

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the general perception and attitude of clinicians and patients towards telehealth was usually negative to mixed. Although the acceptability might have increased after the pandemic, certain populations, especially in rural settings might still express concerns about the use of telehealth for their healthcare needs. Increasing awareness through education can help mitigate these concerns.