Telehealth appointments in a public developmental pediatrics clinic in Türkiye: a two-year observational study
European Journal of Pediatrics, cilt.185, sa.5, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 185 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s00431-026-06990-8
- Dergi Adı: European Journal of Pediatrics
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Appointment attendance, Developmental paediatrics, Health services accessibility, Middle-income country, Telehealth
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
To describe the use and appointment status of a nationally integrated telehealth pathway in a single-provider public developmental pediatrics clinic in Türkiye and to examine factors associated with telehealth appointment completion and cancellation. This retrospective single-center study included all telehealth appointments scheduled through Türkiye’s national Central Physician Appointment System (Merkezi Hekim Randevu Sistemi: MHRS) using the Ministry of Health remote patient assessment module between 1 December 2023 and 1 December 2025. Telehealth appointments were physician-scheduled for selected clinical situations as a complement to prior in-person developmental assessment. Appointment indications, child and family characteristics, and telehealth appointment status categories (completed, cancelled, no-show) were described. Child-level multivariable binomial generalized linear models with logit link and robust standard errors were used to examine factors associated with telehealth completion and cancellation. A total of 526 telehealth appointments were scheduled for 380 children. Telehealth was most commonly used among children with prematurity or neonatal risk and for selected remote assessment purposes, including home-based naturalistic observation and caregiver-shared video review. Overall, 77.4% of telehealth appointments were completed, 20.5% were cancelled, and 2.1% were classified as no-show; among non-cancelled telehealth bookings, the no-show rate was 2.6% (11/418). In adjusted analyses, higher maternal education, paternal age 25–34 years, and travel distance ≥ 100 km were associated with higher cancellation and lower completion, whereas household income and rural residence were not independently associated. Conclusion: In this public developmental pediatrics clinic, a physician-scheduled telehealth pathway integrated within the national appointment system was used as a supplementary service for selected follow-up, counselling, and remote observational assessment needs. Telehealth appointment completion was generally high, but families living ≥ 100 km from the clinic had less favorable appointment status patterns. These findings support telehealth as a complementary service model in developmental pediatrics and highlight the need to address barriers affecting attendance. (Table presented.)