Child and adolescent mental health service providers' perceptions of using telehealth

There is growing evidence to suggest that, for child and adolescent mental health services, telehealth might be better than some aspects of traditional face-to-face service provision. Staff willingness to embrace new ways of working is critical to adopting technological innovation into practice.

This article describes efforts to articulate telehealth ‘readiness’ among staff in the north of Scotland. Findings suggest that many participants are comfortable with introducing telehealth in their clinical areas, although less than half of the target population responded to the survey.

The authors believe that positive attitudes should lead practitioners to engage in a structured programme that addresses gaps in knowledge and skills about telehealth.