Objective:
As the landscape of health care continues to shift, providing mental health and pain management services via telehealth is becoming an ideal option to increase accessibility of care. Research demonstrates the benefit of biofeedback-assisted relaxation training (BART) for children. During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians required to use telehealth needed an alternative to provide ongoing services. This commentary seeks to illustrate the benefits of offering BART virtually with discussing considerations and future directions.
Method:
An existing BART protocol was modified for telehealth delivery. Variations to the approach included increased psychoeducation, more parental engagement, and a greater focus on mobile applications (apps) in treatment. Mobile apps were used to introduce relaxation strategies, encourage practice outside of session, and obtain physiological measurements pre- and postpractice of relaxation strategies.
Results:
Clinicians quickly pivoted their approach and provided services without interruption. Protocol changes illustrated the need for more thorough description of treatment sessions, increased focus on privacy and ethical considerations, and age-related factors.
Conclusions:
As the uncertainty of the pandemic continues, it is important for clinicians to innovate to provide effective remote clinical interventions for patients and families. Future research studies examining the provision of BART via telehealth and its impact on pain and overall functioning are warranted.
Implications for Impact Statement
Identifying innovative modalities to offer biofeedback assisted relaxation training (BART) to pediatric populations with chronic medical conditions is critical in increasing accessibility of care. Clinicians may consider modifying their BART protocols to offer this intervention via telehealth or in a hybrid manner.
