ABSTRACT
Aim: To describe the patient and caregiver experience of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: From March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many nephrology clinics had to adopt telehealth to manage kidney transplantation recipients. However, the potential benefits and risks regarding the quality of care from the patient perspective are uncertain. Methods: Five online focus groups were conducted via Zoom with 35 transplant recipients (51% female) across Australia who had experienced at least one telehealth appointment. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Results: Focus group participants were mainly white (74%), female (51%), on average had their transplant for 5 years and were in the age group of 41-50 years old. We identified 4 themes: minimising burden (convenient and easy, reducing exposure to risk, limiting disruption to work, alleviating financial burden);attuning to individual context (dependant on stability of health, respect patient choice of receiving care, environmental distraction);protecting personal connection and trust (requires established rapport with clinicians, missed incidental interactions with healthcare team, reassurance of adequate follow up, loss of opportunities to meet patients);empowerment and readiness (taking on more responsibility for health, needing reassurance and confirmation of information, mental preparedness for appointments). Conclusion: Patients suggested that the option of telehealth should be available, even after the pandemic, and that it should be provide by a trusted nephrologist whom rapport was already established. This information could be used to inform policy about the implementation of telehealth to be offered as a part of main-stream post-transplant care.