Author(s) :

Ananya Pendela, Amy Pearce.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Telehealth has quickly become a major component of modern healthcare systems worldwide, evolving rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most current research has focused on its benefits, including increased access, convenience, and efficiency. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding how telehealth changes the way clinicians perceive patients. Diagnosis begins with perception; therefore, any change in sensory input can affect clinical decision-making. This paper argues that telehealth alters the multisensory integration of visual, auditory, and somatosensory information, thereby shaping clinicians’ understanding of a patient’s condition. Factors such as video lag, audio distortion, and the lack of physical interaction can negatively affect these sensory cues. These differences may reduce diagnostic accuracy, particularly in cases that rely on subtle behavioral and communicative signals, such as assessments of autism or ADHD. This perspective contends that telehealth should be approached with caution, as it alters the sensory environment of healthcare delivery and carries important implications for diagnostic accuracy and clinical practice.