The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the integration of remote physiotherapy (RP) into daily practice.
• Remote physiotherapy utilizes information and communication technology to enhance access to services.
• Limited research exists on physiotherapists' perspectives and the extent of RP implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Finnish physiotherapists' opinions on the current state of remote physiotherapy.
• To assess the perceived suitability of RP across different patient populations.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed to physiotherapists in Finland.
• The survey collected data on the suitability, current use, and implementation of RP in clinical practice.

Main Results:

• Physiotherapist adoption of RP significantly increased from pre-pandemic levels to spring 2021 (public sector: 33.8% to 75.4%; private sector: 19.7% to 76.6%).
• Despite increased adoption, only 11.7% of physiotherapists dedicated over 20% of their practice time to RP.
• Suitability scores for RP varied by disease group, ranging from 3.3 for neurological to 6.1 for lung diseases.
• Real-time methods were most common, with computers/tablets being the primary technology used, particularly in the private sector.

Conclusions:

• Physiotherapist use of RP expanded significantly during the pandemic, though time allocation remained low.
• The perceived suitability of RP differs across various medical conditions.
• Findings offer insights for developing educational programs focused on health technologies in physiotherapy.