Video Counselling: a Post-Launch Retrospective and Comparison with In-Person Counselling Outcomes
|
If you are the presenter of this abstract (or if you cite this abstract in a talk or on a poster), please show the QR code in your slide or poster (QR code contains this URL). |
Abstract
Background
Shepell·fgi is a provider of integrated health and productivity solutions to global and domestic clients who are eligible for Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAP). For the past twelve years, e-counselling has been a part of Shepell·fgi’s EFAP counselling services. In the past two years, Shepell·fgi has expanded their online clinical and user-directed EFAP services to include: First Chat (launched in December 2011); the MyEAP Smartphone app (launched May 2011 with Intake functionality introduced in November 2012); and a variety of online user-directed programs. In May 2010, Video Counselling was launched as a pilot project with a full operational launch in September 2011.
Objective
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a retrospective post-launch examination of the Video Counselling service through an analysis of the reported clinical outcomes of Video and In-Person Counselling modalities. Through a point-by-point comparison of these services, we will examine client self-report of session helpfulness and pre/post self-assessment on health and mental health; client withdrawal rates; and the rates of no shows and late cancellations using Video Counselling in an EFAP setting.
Methods
For the purposes of this study Shepell·fgi staff collected and examined a chronological sample of 68 Video Counselling (VC) cases and 68 In-Person (IP)cases that were closed in 2012. The compared cases were collected from a pool of closed client clinical files. In order to minimize the variables impacting the study and maintain as much clinical continuity as possible, the IP and VC clients must have attended clinical sessions with any one of six counsellors who provided both Video Counselling and In-Person Counselling services.
The study compared the two counselling modalities along the following data points:
1. Client rating of session helpfulness
2. Rates of goal completion
3. Client withdrawal rates
4. Pre/Post client self-assessment
5. Presenting issue
6. Client demographic profiles (e.g. Age, gender, etc.)
7. Average session hours
8. No show and late cancellation rates
Specific to Video Counselling we examined:
1. Client geographic location
Results
Data analysis demonstrates that VC and IP showed a similar representation of presenting issues and had close to identical outcomes in terms of client rating of session helpfulness, rates of goal completion, pre/post client self-assessment, average session duration and client geographic location. Also, there were no statistically significant differences in the rates of withdrawal from counselling, no-shows and late cancellations between VC and IP counselling.
Conclusion
Based on the study, Video Counselling and In-Person Counselling support showed similar outcomes in terms of client rating of session, as defined below, and goal attainment. In terms of client age, in this sample, VC clients tended to be similar in age to clients who chose In-Person Counselling. The biggest difference among age cohorts was in the group of clients over 50. There was a higher percentage of clients over 50 opting for VC as compared to IP. In the sample of 68 cases, clients over 51 years of age preferred the high tech option.
Shepell·fgi is a provider of integrated health and productivity solutions to global and domestic clients who are eligible for Employee and Family Assistance Programs (EFAP). For the past twelve years, e-counselling has been a part of Shepell·fgi’s EFAP counselling services. In the past two years, Shepell·fgi has expanded their online clinical and user-directed EFAP services to include: First Chat (launched in December 2011); the MyEAP Smartphone app (launched May 2011 with Intake functionality introduced in November 2012); and a variety of online user-directed programs. In May 2010, Video Counselling was launched as a pilot project with a full operational launch in September 2011.
Objective
The purpose of this paper is to conduct a retrospective post-launch examination of the Video Counselling service through an analysis of the reported clinical outcomes of Video and In-Person Counselling modalities. Through a point-by-point comparison of these services, we will examine client self-report of session helpfulness and pre/post self-assessment on health and mental health; client withdrawal rates; and the rates of no shows and late cancellations using Video Counselling in an EFAP setting.
Methods
For the purposes of this study Shepell·fgi staff collected and examined a chronological sample of 68 Video Counselling (VC) cases and 68 In-Person (IP)cases that were closed in 2012. The compared cases were collected from a pool of closed client clinical files. In order to minimize the variables impacting the study and maintain as much clinical continuity as possible, the IP and VC clients must have attended clinical sessions with any one of six counsellors who provided both Video Counselling and In-Person Counselling services.
The study compared the two counselling modalities along the following data points:
1. Client rating of session helpfulness
2. Rates of goal completion
3. Client withdrawal rates
4. Pre/Post client self-assessment
5. Presenting issue
6. Client demographic profiles (e.g. Age, gender, etc.)
7. Average session hours
8. No show and late cancellation rates
Specific to Video Counselling we examined:
1. Client geographic location
Results
Data analysis demonstrates that VC and IP showed a similar representation of presenting issues and had close to identical outcomes in terms of client rating of session helpfulness, rates of goal completion, pre/post client self-assessment, average session duration and client geographic location. Also, there were no statistically significant differences in the rates of withdrawal from counselling, no-shows and late cancellations between VC and IP counselling.
Conclusion
Based on the study, Video Counselling and In-Person Counselling support showed similar outcomes in terms of client rating of session, as defined below, and goal attainment. In terms of client age, in this sample, VC clients tended to be similar in age to clients who chose In-Person Counselling. The biggest difference among age cohorts was in the group of clients over 50. There was a higher percentage of clients over 50 opting for VC as compared to IP. In the sample of 68 cases, clients over 51 years of age preferred the high tech option.
Medicine 2.0® is happy to support and promote other conferences and workshops in this area. Contact us to produce, disseminate and promote your conference or workshop under this label and in this event series. In addition, we are always looking for hosts of future World Congresses. Medicine 2.0® is a registered trademark of JMIR Publications Inc., the leading academic ehealth publisher.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.