Provider Perceptions of In-Person Versus Telehealth Delivery of Habit Reversal Training for Tic Disorders

Background Habit reversal training (HRT) is an efficacious intervention for individuals with tic disorders that can be delivered both in-person and via telehealth. Despite noted effectiveness, no known studies have directly compared provider perceptions of these modalities of HRT delivery. Methods Professionals providing HRT for individuals with tic disorders ( n = 136) completed an online survey to assess perceptions of telehealth-delivered HRT compared to in-person services. Results Providers reported lower feasibility of telehealth relative to in-person HRT for patients younger than 8 years old but greater feasibility of telehealth for patients 13-17 years old and 18-65 years old. Telehealth HRT was perceived to be more feasible for patients with less severe tic presentations. Providers reported greater feasibility in an in-person environment compared to telehealth for addressing therapeutic factors, individual patient differences, and characteristics of the patients’ tics. Lastly, providers reported that all aspects of HRT are more feasible to implement in-person compared to telehealth settings. Conclusion Findings suggest there are a variety of clinical factors that providers believe could impact HRT treatment, which should be considered when determining whether an in-person or telehealth treatment model is best fit for individuals with tic disorders.