Objective:
The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a rapid shift in the health care landscape. To meet the psychological needs of children/adolescents in the medical setting, pediatric consultation-liaison (CL) psychologists have had to radically adapt their traditional forms of practice.
Method:
To understand this adaptation, a questionnaire was sent to members of the consultation-liaison and related special interest groups of the Society of Pediatric Psychology (American Psychological Association Division 54). Questions included: participant background; practice setting; prepandemic/peri-pandemic psychological service delivery methodology; speed/level of support for service transition; and open-ended questions on challenges and benefits of providing CL services during the pandemic. Responses to open-ended questions were coded using content analysis.
Results:
Between April 6 and April 20, 2020, 51 individuals (88.2% female; 86.3% psychologists; 72.5% in free-standing children’s hospitals) participated. Findings showed service methodology shifted from predominantly face-to-face prepandemic (100%) with a small group (3.2%) also providing telemedicine services to a small percentage of their patients to primarily telemedicine during the initial stage of the pandemic (82.4%). During this time some (37.37%) used only telemedicine; several (9.8%) provided only face-to-face; a few (3.9%) completely paused services; and some (47.1%) used a mix of modalities.
Conclusion:
Given the predominant use of telemedicine, these findings are initial evidence of the feasibility of transitioning pediatric CL psychology services to meet pandemic-specific needs. Benefits of telemedicine include continuity of care, flexibility and efficiency, and organizational benefits. There were also reported challenges that provide important areas for improvement in the continued climate of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as future similar public health crises.
Implications for Impact Statement
Pediatric consultation-liaison (CL) psychologists are effective in providing brief, focused interventions across pediatric patients and their families. Considering pediatric CL psychology services during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, it was important to collect information on how pediatric CL psychologists provided mental health services during this the initial stage of the pandemic in the United States. Findings indicated that service delivery shifted from face-to-face to telemedicine to address the patient needs and institutional guidelines, suggesting the feasibility of transitioning pediatric CL psychology services to respond to dynamic public health crises.
