Beyond the pandemic: evaluating the health care workforce’s readiness for sustained use of virtual care after COVID-19

Background and aims: This study aimed to investigate healthcare professionals (HCPs) preparedness to continue using telehealth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, to examine the perceived ability of HCPs to appraise the reliability of online information sources (digital literacy) and, to examine whether a relationship exists between this and preparedness to continue using telehealth. Methods: Single-site cross-sectional survey of HCPs in an outpatient and community therapy setting. The survey was based on a rapid literature review guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Technology Acceptance Model. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise participant demographics, preparedness for telehealth, and digital literacy (based on confidence in appraising online information). Multivariable logistic regression assessed the associations between preparedness to continue using telehealth, the ability to evaluate online information sources, and demographic variables. Results: A total of 783 HCPs were invited, 310 responded, with 287 participants included in the final analysis (37% response rate excluding incomplete surveys). The analysis shows that 54.8% of participants preferred to return to in-person care. Preparedness to continue telehealth varied by profession and clinical activity, with medical professionals and script provision showing the highest readiness for continued telehealth use and allied health professionals the least likely to continue using telehealth (36%). Most (89%) of HCPs felt confident identifying reliable online information sources and there was no relationship between perceived ability to evaluate online information and preparedness to use telehealth. Conclusion: Results suggest hesitancy amongst allied staff toward continued telehealth use post the pandemic, which may be due to the type of care they provide. Future studies on technologies that support HCPs in providing more intensive virtual care would be of benefit.