Haig-Ferguson, Andrew, Loades, Maria, Whittle, Charlotte et al. · Internet interventions · 2019 · DOI
This study looked at whether young people with ME/CFS could receive therapy through video calls (like Skype) instead of traveling to hospital appointments. Researchers interviewed 12 young patients, 6 parents, and 9 healthcare workers about their experiences. Most people found video appointments helpful for reducing travel, though some worried about privacy and felt that something was lost compared to face-to-face meetings.
Access to specialist ME/CFS services remains a significant barrier for many families, particularly those living far from specialist centers. This study provides evidence that videoconferencing could expand treatment access for pediatric patients, while identifying specific implementation considerations. Understanding both benefits and limitations helps guide equitable service delivery for a population with limited specialist resources.
This qualitative study does not establish the clinical effectiveness of videoconferencing therapy compared to in-person treatment—it documents experiences only. It cannot prove that videoconferencing is equally effective for all patients or that it should replace in-person appointments. The findings reflect one specialist service and may not generalize to other regions, patient populations, or treatment modalities.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Haig-Ferguson, Andrew, Loades, Maria, Whittle, Charlotte, Read, Rebecca, Higson-Sweeney, Nina, Beasant, Lucy, et al. (2019). "It's not one size fits all"; the use of videoconferencing for delivering therapy in a Specialist Paediatric Chronic Fatigue Service.. Internet interventions. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2018.12.003
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-haig-ferguson-2019-one-size,
author = {Haig-Ferguson, Andrew and Loades, Maria and Whittle, Charlotte and Read, Rebecca and Higson-Sweeney, Nina and Beasant, Lucy and Starbuck, Jennifer and Crawley, Esther},
title = {"It's not one size fits all"; the use of videoconferencing for delivering therapy in a Specialist Paediatric Chronic Fatigue Service.},
journal = {Internet interventions},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1016/j.invent.2018.12.003},
note = {PubMed: 30619719},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/haig-ferguson-2019-one-size},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/haig-ferguson-2019-one-size
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