Viewpoints of Healthcare Professionals on Care Delivery Within the Frames of Old-Age Mental Telehealth Services Operating in Low-Resource Settings

TL;DR

Healthcare professionals in Greece share their experiences with a new telehealth model for mental care for older adults in low-resource areas.

Contribution

The study introduces and evaluates a novel telehealth model for psychogeriatric care in low-resource settings.

Findings

Healthcare professionals reported high usability and satisfaction with the INTRINSIC telehealth services.

The model was found to improve timely care delivery, reduce hospital strain, and be cost-effective.

Challenges included user reluctance, platform usability issues, and increased workload for professionals.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The INTegRated InterveNtion of pSychogerIatric Care (INTRINSIC) network introduces an innovative model of psychogeriatric care, combining tertiary mental healthcare with primary care for older adults in low-resource settings in Greece via telemedicine. This study explores viewpoints of healthcare professionals on care delivery within the frames of old-age mental telehealth services in low-resource settings. Methods: All healthcare professionals, including 13 medical and 11 non-medical professionals from diverse healthcare units in urban, rural, and insular areas, participated in a semi-structured survey. Thematic analysis identified key insights. Results: Most participants (N = 19) highlighted the high usability of the INTRINSIC services and their high satisfaction for being members of the network (N = 17) was attributed to the collaborative delivery of integrated, specialized healthcare services in primary healthcare (N = 17). Further identified advantages of the services included the positive impact on timely care delivery (N = 6), cost effectiveness, and alleviation of hospital strain. Healthcare professionals valued the holistic approach of the INTRINSIC services to psychogeriatric care (N = 8) and their role in the improvement of it in communities in low-resource settings (N = 13). However, challenges were also reported, including the low openness and reluctance of service users (N = 7), difficulties in using the INTRINSIC digital platform (N = 5), and increased workload (N = 5). Conclusions: Despite these issues, the INTRINSIC services embody an innovative telehealth model for delivering high-quality, tertiary, mental, and cognitive healthcare services to older adults in underserved areas.

Figures