Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, occupational therapy services in the Philippines experienced a shift in service delivery. As face-to-face services were halted, E-health became the key solution for rendering rehabilitation services. Practitioners relied on their clinical judgment in accepting clients for this type of service delivery. The Systematic and Collaborative Review of E-health Ecological Networks or SCREEN is a model that may aid occupational therapists practicing in the pediatric setting and providing services through E-health. The SCREEN model will assist practitioners in deciding what type of service delivery would be beneficial for the client and if the therapist is equipped to provide E-health as a service. SCREEN model includes the framework and a decision tree for its usability and application to OT practice, particularly in E-health.
Telemedicine

BACKGROUND: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals including pediatric occupational therapists (OTs) mandatorily had to shift to the practice of telehealth in the absence of a safe in- person setup caused by the outbreak. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the psychosocial experiences encountered by selected pediatric OTs in the Philippines brought by the shift to telehealth practice during the COVID-19 pandemic METHODOLOGY: Purposive sampling was used in the study to gather six (6) licensed pediatric OTs who provide occupational therapy (OT) services via telehealth in the Philippines, and the respondents were not personally connected to any of the researchers. A semi-structured one-on-one interview with the participants through a Zoom call was conducted to obtain their psychosocial experiences. A thematic analysis was used and four (4) themes emerged by the end of the study: consequences of the shift to telehealth practice, changes during telehealth provision, increased resilience, and increased psychological strain. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the transition to provision of telehealth services to pediatric clients has challenged the practices of the selected pediatric OTs in terms of preparing for the session, where one of the main prevalent concerns was toward collaboration and communication with the caregivers; conducting of telehealth sessions, where communication interruption was one of the main concerns; and in ethical considerations, where OTs made it a point that they rectified ethical dilemmas amidst telehealth provision. These experienced challenges also included increased workload and psychological distress, while improved occupational balance and adaptability were most commonly experienced by OTs
COVID-19 Pandemic ; Occupational Therapy ; Telehealth