Telehealth Increases Access to Brief Behavioral Interventions in an Orofacial Pain Clinic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to test whether patients with orofacial pain were more likely to start and complete a brief psychological intervention for managing certain chronic orofacial pain conditions (physical self-regulation [PSR]) via telehealth (during the COVID-19 pandemic) vs. in-person (before the COVID-19 pandemic). The exploratory aim was to describe demographic factors that could influence patients’ likelihood of starting and completing PSR. Methods Retrospective medical charts of all patients seen at a university-affiliated tertiary orofacial pain clinic between July–December 2019 (in-person; before the pandemic) and July–December 2020 (telehealth; during the pandemic) were reviewed. Charts were examined for demographic information and to compare the number of patients who started and completed PSR during each study period (chi-squared test). Results Of 248 new patients seen in the clinic during the 2019 period, 25 started PSR in-person (10.08%). Of 252 new patients seen during the 2020 period, 53 started PSR via telehealth (21.03%). Patients were more likely to start PSR (odds ratio = 6.21, p