Other Titles
Transforming Telehealth with THRIVE (Transforming Healthcare Through Relational Innovation in Virtual Environments): An Online Intervention for NPs Caring for Young Adults [Poster Title]
Abstract
AIM: To develop an online, video-based intervention for nurse practitioners (NPs) that illustrates best practices to establish therapeutic relational connection (TRC) during telehealth visits.
BACKGROUND: Telehealth offers many benefits for chronically ill young adults. Despite the potential benefits of virtual visits, little attention has been given to the quality of the virtual provider-patient relationship and its consequences. Relationships with healthcare providers that are characterized by a sense of TRC have the potential to increase self-management skills which are associated with improved physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes. Although there are known benefits to TRC, what is not known are the best practices for how to establish TRC in the virtual environment.
METHODS: The intervention was developed using human-centered design principles through focus groups with young adults (aged 18-25) with chronic illness and NPs who care for this population. Focus groups reviewed clinical vignettes aimed at illustrating best practices for establishing TRC in virtual care. Continuous feedback from the focus groups was used to refine the vignettes, ensuring they were both valid and acceptable, while also aligning with the unique needs, preferences, and challenges of both providers and patients. This iterative process allowed for the creation of vignettes that were culturally sensitive, relevant, and engaging.
RESULTS: An online video-based intervention consisting of a 5-episode series of vignettes to demonstrate TRC best practices in diverse clinical scenarios was created. Each vignette demonstrates the antecedents of TRC including non-verbal cues, presence, respect, trust, empathy, patient-centered communication and cultural humility.
CONCLUSION: Designing an online, video-based intervention to train NPs in the skills needed to establish TRC has potential to improve patient-centered outcomes. Current studies have focused on the technological aspects of various telehealth platforms, but to date, no studies have been conducted on the affective domains of virtual care and to determine how intentional use of TRC is established during virtual visits between patients and NPs. Establishing TRC via telehealth can facilitate the relationships needed to help improve self-management skills among young adults with chronic illness.
Notes
Reference list attached as separate file.
Sigma Membership
Beta Zeta at-Large
Lead Author Affiliation
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Telehealth, Nurse Practitioners, Young Adult, Diffusion of Innovation, Therapeutic Alliance
Recommended Citation
Duffy, Lisa V., "Transforming Telehealth with THRIVE: An Online Intervention for NPs Caring for Young Adults" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 54.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/54
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-04
Transforming Telehealth with THRIVE: An Online Intervention for NPs Caring for Young Adults
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
AIM: To develop an online, video-based intervention for nurse practitioners (NPs) that illustrates best practices to establish therapeutic relational connection (TRC) during telehealth visits.
BACKGROUND: Telehealth offers many benefits for chronically ill young adults. Despite the potential benefits of virtual visits, little attention has been given to the quality of the virtual provider-patient relationship and its consequences. Relationships with healthcare providers that are characterized by a sense of TRC have the potential to increase self-management skills which are associated with improved physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes. Although there are known benefits to TRC, what is not known are the best practices for how to establish TRC in the virtual environment.
METHODS: The intervention was developed using human-centered design principles through focus groups with young adults (aged 18-25) with chronic illness and NPs who care for this population. Focus groups reviewed clinical vignettes aimed at illustrating best practices for establishing TRC in virtual care. Continuous feedback from the focus groups was used to refine the vignettes, ensuring they were both valid and acceptable, while also aligning with the unique needs, preferences, and challenges of both providers and patients. This iterative process allowed for the creation of vignettes that were culturally sensitive, relevant, and engaging.
RESULTS: An online video-based intervention consisting of a 5-episode series of vignettes to demonstrate TRC best practices in diverse clinical scenarios was created. Each vignette demonstrates the antecedents of TRC including non-verbal cues, presence, respect, trust, empathy, patient-centered communication and cultural humility.
CONCLUSION: Designing an online, video-based intervention to train NPs in the skills needed to establish TRC has potential to improve patient-centered outcomes. Current studies have focused on the technological aspects of various telehealth platforms, but to date, no studies have been conducted on the affective domains of virtual care and to determine how intentional use of TRC is established during virtual visits between patients and NPs. Establishing TRC via telehealth can facilitate the relationships needed to help improve self-management skills among young adults with chronic illness.
Description
Telehealth has rapidly become integrated into healthcare systems, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it offers expanded access to care, there remains limited understanding of how to best utilize telehealth in clinical practice. This presents an important opportunity to train nurse practitioners in the intentional application of telehealth to enhance therapeutic relationships and engagement with their young adult patients.