title: Perspectives of rural carers on benefits and barriers of receiving occupational therapy via Information and Communication Technologies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People with a disability living in rural areas commonly experience difficulty in accessing therapy services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may have the potential to provide occupational therapy services remotely through two-way visual interactions. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the perspectives of carers of a person with a disability living in rural New South Wales (NSW) on the use of ICT for occupational therapy service delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 11 carers of persons with a disability living in rural NSW. Participants were asked about their use of technology, therapy experiences and their attitudes towards using ICT to receive occupational therapy for their son/daughter. Data were analysed via constant comparison and thematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were willing to use ICT to enhance their current access to therapy based on their in-depth knowledge of their son or daughter and their prior experiences with therapy and technology. For ICT to work for occupational therapy, participants identified the need for support and access prior to, during and between ICT sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the carers' perspectives, ICT has the potential to increase access to occupational therapy services for people with a disability who live in rural NSW. Occupational therapists could benefit from eliciting the experiences, knowledge and willingness of rural carers to deliver therapy via ICT, thereby supplementing and enhancing in-person service delivery.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bundy
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dew
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012424:Rural Population; D000069350:Telerehabilitation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: caregiver; rural population; telemedicine; videoconferencing