Factors Affecting Engagement in Videoconferencing-based Telehealth in Adults with Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review

Objective(s): The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the factors affecting patients' engagement in videoconferencing-based telehealth in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Data Sources: PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycNET databases

Study Selection: We conducted a scoping review of literature meeting these criteria: (1) adults with ABI, caregivers, or healthcare professionals; (2) reported factors for patient engagement in telehealth; (3) telehealth via videoconferencing in the community (not clinic or hospital); (4) published in English. Exclusion criteria included review studies, books, conference abstracts, and study protocols. Articles were reviewed by the first and second researchers. Disagreements were resolved through consultation with a third researcher.

Data Extraction: A total of 565 articles were retrieved. After removing duplicate and not eligible articles, 28 articles were included in this review.

Data Synthesis: Of the 29 included articles, 15 used qualitative methods to report factors related to patient engagement, 7 used quantitative methods, and 7 used both qualitative and quantitative methods. Most factors related to patient engagement reflect the factors derived from the Model of Therapeutic Engagement in Medical Rehabilitation (Lequerica & Kortte, 2010) and the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model (Venkatesh et al., 2003). A total of 59 factors (37 facilitators and 22 barriers) were identified. These factors were categorized according to 18 themes. The most frequently identified themes included “resources and technology” and “perceived convenience”. Available technical resources (e.g., technical support, good technical quality) and perceived usefulness (e.g., increased accessibility to care) have positive effects on patient engagement while limited technical resources (e.g., technical or internet issues, limited physical space) have negative effects on engagement.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that engagement in videoconferencing-based telehealth has been shown to be influenced by a myriad of factors, many of which are related specifically to technology use, among adults with ABI. Telehealth providers need to discuss these factors with their patients to encourage patient engagement and thereby result in better health outcomes.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors declare that they have no conflicts.