Synchronous Telehealth Fatigue Among Healthcare Providers

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare quickly shifted from in-person visits to virtual care. While telehealth offers numerous benefits, this change in workflow presented new challenges and potentially undesired outcomes for healthcare providers. Emerging research suggests that excessive time engaging in video conferencing can lead to fatigue and burnout. However, there is little known about how telehealth providers are affected. This pilot study aimed to determine if telehealth providers experience synchronous telehealth fatigue (STF) and its association with factors such as the number of hours worked daily, work environment, work location, characteristics of breaks, telehealth education, and resiliency.