Perspectives of Rehabilitation Specialists on Telerehabilitation in Jordan: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Implementation...

Telerehabilitation (TR) has emerged as a promising approach to improving access to rehabilitation services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Jordan. However, successful implementation largely depends on rehabilitation specialists' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers.

This study is aimed at exploring rehabilitation specialists' perspectives on TR in Jordan, focusing on their knowledge, attitudes, current use, and perceived implementation barriers.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among rehabilitation specialists including physical therapist, occupational therapist, and speech and language therapist practicing in Jordan. Participants completed a validated 27-item Rehabilitation Specialists' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers to TR Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants' demographic characteristics and their responses related to TR knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers.

A total of 300 rehabilitation specialists (mean age = 28.6 ± 6.1 years; 51% female) were included in the analysis, comprising equal numbers of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists. Overall, 81% of participants reported awareness of TR, and 57% indicated that TR was currently used in their workplace. Despite the generally favorable perceptions-59% considered TR socially somewhat acceptable and 75% believed it could save time, effort, or costs-actual engagement remained limited, with 35% reporting awareness without prior use and only 14% reporting regular use. Technological reliability and validity were endorsed by 78% and 72% of respondents, respectively. However, only 36% agreed that TR was comparable to face-to-face care. The most frequently reported barriers included limited public awareness (84%), technical issues such as poor internet connection (80%), provider willingness (74%), staff skill limitations including lack of training (71%), data privacy and security concerns (71%), location of healthcare institutions (69%), increased workload (69%), and lack of user-friendly software (61%). Early-career clinicians (< 5 years of experience), who constituted 67% of the sample, demonstrated greater openness toward TR compared with more experienced practitioners.

Rehabilitation specialists in Jordan showed readiness to adopt TR. However, significant structural, educational, and cultural barriers appeared to hinder its widespread implementation.