Telerehabilitation Implementation: Perspectives from Physiotherapists Working in Complex Care.

Area of Science:

• Physiotherapy
• Digital Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telerehabilitation in physiotherapy.
• Understanding physiotherapists' experiences is crucial for optimizing future telerehabilitation implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers and facilitators of clinical telerehabilitation implementation among physiotherapists.
• To explore physiotherapists' perceptions and experiences with telerehabilitation during the initial phase of the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study involving Canadian physiotherapists during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Utilized the Assessing Determinants of Prospective Uptake of Virtual Reality (ADOPT-VR) instrument adapted for telerehabilitation.
• Conducted online focus groups to gather qualitative data on implementation experiences.

Main Results:

• Physiotherapists reported positive experiences, rating telerehabilitation as enjoyable (7.5/10) and useful (7.3/10).
• Identified barriers included limited access to implementation evidence, reduced hands-on approach, and lack of validated remote assessments.
• Physiotherapists expressed low agreement on the necessity of minimal mental effort (4.4/10) and familiarity with evidence (4.7/10).

Conclusions:

• Telerehabilitation was positively adopted by physiotherapists early in the pandemic.
• Key factors for improving telerehabilitation implementation include clinical practice guidelines, validated remote assessments, curriculum changes, and policy development.