Table 3.
Clinical telehealth tools: research purpose, methodologies and sample sizes, settings.
| Authors, publication date, title | Research purpose/question | Methodologies | Sample size, setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health issue I: healthcare (access) | |||
| Gava et al. (2021): Mental Health and Endocrine Telemedicine Consultations in Transgender Subjects During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey | Access to healthcare and effect on mental health and endocrinological care | Cross-sectional web- based survey, 3 validated questionnaires (IES, BDI-II, SF-12) | N = 108, clinical trial |
| Russell et al. (2022): Increasing Access to Care for Transgender/Gender Diverse Youth Using Telehealth: A Quality Improvement Project | Increase access to gender-affirming care by expanding telehealth without compromising communication, privacy, and patient satisfaction | Patient needs assessment, 9-items evaluation survey of video visits | N = 69 and N = 91, academic multidisciplinary pediatric center |
| Silva et al. (2021): Usability of Virtual Visits for the Routine Clinical Care of Trans Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Youth and Caregiver Perspectives | Families’ perspectives on the usability of virtual visits for routine care for trans youth during the COVID-19 pandemic | Online study, validated telehealth usability questionnaire (TUQ) | N = 28 trans youth and N = 69 caregiver, gender clinic in tertiary children’s hospital |
| Kauth et al. (2015): Teleconsultation and Training of VHA Providers on Transgender Care: Implementation of a Multisite Hub System | Evaluating teleconsultation and training program for transgender care (to train and educate front-line clinicians, expand clinical capacity) | Evaluation study, participation in at least 12 of 14 program sessions | N = 5, interdisciplinary clinical teams in a 14-session, 7-months program; N = 13, participants in evaluation study |
| Shipherd et al. (2016): Nationwide Interdisciplinary E-Consultation on Transgender Care in the Veterans Health Administration | Establishing a nationwide interdisciplinary e-consultation program for transgender care | Feasibility study, multimethod approach | N = 303, teleconsultations for N = 230 veterans |
| Blosnich et al. (2019): Utilization of the Veterans Affairs´ Transgender E-Consultation Program by Health Care Providers: Mixed-Methods Study | Describing experiences with the program, reasons for non-use and ways to improve its use | Mixed methods, semi-structured interviews for users and online survey for non-users | N = 4 urban and N = 11, rural provider; N = 53 non-users |
| Potapov et al. (2021): Electronic Consultations as an Educational Tool to Improve the Care of Transgender Patients in Primary Care | Exploring the impact of e-consultations submitted to a TGNB specialist panel on primary care clinicians’ experience and on their education on TGNB-related topics | Document analysis of de-identified data from the RubiconMD platform | N = 4 TGNB specialists in Community Health Center in NY that responded to N = 74 e-consultations over 24 months |
| Health issue II: sexual health | |||
| Benkeser et al. (2020): Design and Analysis Considerations for a Sequentially Randomized HIV Prevention Trail | Testing the efficacy of different combinations of interventions (TechStep includes a SMS system, web application and electronic counseling) | Formative research, sequential multi-arm randomized trail (SMART) | N = 250 users |
| Reback et al. (2020): Technology-Based Stepped Care to Stem Transgender Adolescent Risk Transmission: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (TechStep) | Testing improvement in taking sexual risk or PrEP uptake | Randomized controlled trial | N = 54, on- and offline recruiting |
| Sharma et al. (2019): Variations in Testing for HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections across Gender Identity among Transgender Youth | Quantifying HIV and other STI testing levels and examining variations in testing levels across trans-men, trans-women and nonbinary individuals | Randomized trial, multivariable logistic regression | N = 186, HIV home testing supplemented with telehealth-based consulting |
| Health issue III: mental health | |||
| Dubov et al. (2021): Development of a Smartphone App to Predict and Improve Rates of Suicidal Ideation among Transgender Persons (TransLife): A Qualitative Study | Beta testing the usability of an evidence-informed suicide prevention phone app: preliminary data on user engagement and satisfaction and assessing the feasibility of completing EMAs (mood logs) within the app | Pilot study with exploratory research approach: qualitative methods combining naturalistic app use, focus groups and semi-structured phone interviews, 2 validated questionnaires for user experience SUS and SUPR-Q | N = 16, respondent-driven sampling |
| Craig et al. (2021): Adapting Clinical Skills to Telehealth: Applications of Affirmative Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with LGBTQ+ Youth | Presenting key considerations for CBT delivery via telehealth, detail clinical skills and strategies; describing the adaptation approach through a case study; offering guidance to support the adaptation of clinical skills to a virtual environment | Case study, online group sessions | N = 1 |
| Pankey et al. (2021): Gender-Affirming Telepsychology During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommendations for Adult Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations | Promoting the delivery of gender-affirming telepsychology; highlighting clinical issues observed by health service psychologists | Clinical vignette | N = 1, high volume gender clinic |
| Fraser (2009): Etherapy: Ethical and Clinical Considerations for Versions 7 of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care | Background and explanatory material for the potential inclusion of etherapy in Version 7 of the Standards of Care | Literature overview, case study | N = 1, a Saudi-based American male-to-female trans-person |
| Health issue IV: health communication | |||
| Singh et al. (2021): Evaluation of an Electronic Consultation Service for Transgender Care | The impact of an electronic consultation (eConsult) service between primary care providers and transgender care specialists | Retrospective mixed methods analysis, identification of six major themes | N = 62 electronic consultations |
| Ross and Castle (2017): A Culture-Centered Approach to Improving Healthy Trans-Patient-Practicioner-Communication: Recommendations for Practitioners Communicating with Trans Individuals | trans-individuals’ lived experiences with practitioners and the types of advice they suggested be provided to practitioners treating trans-persons to improve the patient-practitioner relationship | Semi-structured qualitative interviews, thematic analysis | N = 13, convenience snowball sample |