Caregiver Perceptions of Telehealth School-based Health Centers

Objective: This exploratory study assesses the caregiver perceived impact of a telehealth school-based health center (tSBHC) program on families in poor, rural areas of South Carolina previously identified as having limited access to healthcare and poor health outcomes. Methods: We conduct a descriptive study of families' experiences with a tSBHC program through a phone survey adapted from prior research. We survey families once, after a student uses the services of a tSBHC and report results based on 31 respondents. Results: Within our sample, we found that 54% of caregivers believe their child(ren) are less stressed and 90% of caregivers found themselves less stressed because of telehealth services. Additionally, 93% of respondents believed that telehealth allowed more timely access to care. Conclusions: The implementation of a tSBHC in a rural, poor area was perceived as a beneficial service to caregivers of the program's pediatric patients. We anticipate benefits of this program to multiple stakeholders, including children, their caregivers, providers, schools, and the local community.