CFCA paper, no. 57, May 2021

Key messages: Telepractice can be a satisfactory form of service delivery for clients and practitioners, when personal preferences and client circumstances are considered; Key enablers of telepractice include ensuring that service providers are sufficiently skilled in the use of virtual service delivery and that clients and organisations have access to, and the skills to use, the necessary technological resources; Key barriers to using telepractice include difficulties engaging clients, digital inequities and privacy risks, practitioner resistance and an organisational environment that is not set up to support telepractice; The benefits of telepractice compared to face-to-face services include improved access to services for certain populations and it can provide practitioners with insights into family life through video-conferencing technology ; There is limited material comparing client outcomes from telepractice with client outcomes from face-to-face delivery; Some evidence suggests that telepractice may suit certain service areas (e.g. mental health related early intervention compared to other family and relationship services). (From the paper). Record #7168