Reliability of Hip and Shoulder Measurements Assessed via Telehealth Versus a Standard In-Person Visit Modality

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Physical Therapy
• Digital Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic increased telehealth use for patient care.
• Limited research exists on telehealth accuracy for musculoskeletal physical examinations.
• Virtual assessments pose challenges for practitioners relying on physical measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity and accuracy of telehealth for measuring hip and shoulder strength and range of motion (ROM).
• To compare telehealth measurements with traditional in-person physical examinations.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 45 participants without hip or shoulder pain.
• In-person and telehealth examinations were conducted for hip and shoulder assessments.
• Hip and shoulder strength and ROM were measured using goniometers (physical and virtual) and compared.

Main Results:

• High agreement (91.1%-100.0%) was found for hip flexion strength, right hip abduction, and right shoulder strength.
• Moderate-to-high agreement (26.7%-77.8%) was observed for left hip abduction, left shoulder active abduction, and shoulder ROM.
• Poor agreement was noted for left and right hip external range of motion.

Conclusions:

• Specific hip and shoulder strength and ROM tests demonstrate accuracy via telehealth.
• Further research is required to establish standardized telehealth protocols for musculoskeletal examinations.