TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Connectivity Paradox
T2 - How the Sociophysical Environment of Telehealth Shapes Adolescent Patients’ and Parents’ Perceptions of the Patient-Clinician Relationship
AU - Mikesell, Lisa
AU - Rea, Samantha
AU - Cuddihy, Catherine
AU - Perry, Martha
AU - Allison, Bianca
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Even before the widespread transition to telehealth as a result of COVID-19, there was a considerable amount of research exploring its value and impact. However, telehealth research with adolescent patients is somewhat limited, with most work focusing on access, feasibility, and acceptability but reporting far less frequently on relationship building and rapport. This study examines qualitative interviews with adolescent patients (n = 14) and parents (n = 20) from a larger convergent parallel mixed methods study to explore how they understand telehealth to have altered the sociophysical environment of primary care clinic encounters and whether they perceive these changes to influence adolescents’ relationships with clinicians. We show that participants perceived the sociophysical environment of telehealth to be both less institutional (e.g. more relaxed and less rushed) and more instrumental (e.g. more focused on the chief complaint), which shaped interactions with clinicians in ways that were experienced as paradoxically less personal (e.g. lacking social connection) and more person-centered (e.g. more attentive to the individual patient). We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings and what they mean for defining person-centered communication for adolescent care.
AB - Even before the widespread transition to telehealth as a result of COVID-19, there was a considerable amount of research exploring its value and impact. However, telehealth research with adolescent patients is somewhat limited, with most work focusing on access, feasibility, and acceptability but reporting far less frequently on relationship building and rapport. This study examines qualitative interviews with adolescent patients (n = 14) and parents (n = 20) from a larger convergent parallel mixed methods study to explore how they understand telehealth to have altered the sociophysical environment of primary care clinic encounters and whether they perceive these changes to influence adolescents’ relationships with clinicians. We show that participants perceived the sociophysical environment of telehealth to be both less institutional (e.g. more relaxed and less rushed) and more instrumental (e.g. more focused on the chief complaint), which shaped interactions with clinicians in ways that were experienced as paradoxically less personal (e.g. lacking social connection) and more person-centered (e.g. more attentive to the individual patient). We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these findings and what they mean for defining person-centered communication for adolescent care.
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U2 - 10.1080/10410236.2022.2124056
DO - 10.1080/10410236.2022.2124056
M3 - Article
C2 - 36102361
AN - SCOPUS:85138439957
SN - 1041-0236
VL - 38
SP - 2854
EP - 2864
JO - Health Communication
JF - Health Communication
IS - 13
ER -