Parents' experiences of videoconference as a tool for multidisciplinary information exchange for children with epilepsy and disability

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To explore the parents' experiences with the multidisciplinary information exchange between different levels of the health- social and school services using videoconference.

Background: Children with epilepsy and disability are in need of long-term multidisciplinary help and support. The information exchange between the child's providers of support is challenging. Scant attention has been paid to the parents' experiences of the information exchange.

Design: A qualitative study with a phenomenological-hermeneutical research approach.

Method: Children with epilepsy and disability had undergone a multidisciplinary assessment in a hospital in the tertiary health service followed by information exchange with each child's local support service using videoconference. Five parents were interviewed individually within a week after the videoconference. The COREQ checklist was used in the process of reporting on the empirical material.

Results: The increased local participation in the videoconference and the knowledge translation between the professionals made the parents save time, as they did not have to explain the written reports to each provider locally. The impact of technology created an emotional distance to the person on the screen and the information exchanged that some enjoyed while others disliked. The quality of the relationships to the professionals seemed to be crucial for the parents to feel safe talking about sensitive tasks.

Conclusion: The parents prefer videoconference as a tool for information exchange to traditional face-to-face meetings as it enables discussions between professionals that might prevent treatment misunderstandings. They experience the method as time-saving and patient-centred.

Relevance to clinical practice: Professionals should be aware of the possible side effects of the impact of technology that might affect the interaction and the information exchange in a negative way. The findings are likely to be transferable beyond the current context.

Keywords: children with chronic epilepsy; multidisciplinary communication; parents; videoconference.