Physiotherapy Professionals: A Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Telerehabilitation Services in Egypt
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2024.6654Keywords:
Attitude, Awareness, COVID-19 pandemic, Perception, Physiotherapists, TelerehabilitationAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of telerehabilitation services in Egypt and to investigate the concerns and barriers faced by Egyptian physiotherapists for implementation. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 306 Egyptian physiotherapists who were asked to complete an online survey including questions about the utilization of telerehabilitation services, awareness, perception, and attitude. Results: A total of 299 physiotherapists completed the online survey. Within the sample, 38.5% utilized telerehabilitation at work. Telerehabilitation was used frequently to deliver patient advice (17.6%), follow-up (16%), and exercise prescription (15.2%). Pain (16.2%) was the most common outcome assessed utilizing telerehabilitation. Additionally, 85.3% of physiotherapists agreed that the inclusion of telerehabilitation during the rehabilitation program is effective. The main barriers to implementing telerehabilitation in Egypt were lack of awareness (59.9%) and technical issues (58.2%). Conclusion: This study sheds light on the trends and challenges in utilizing telerehabilitation and may help in shaping the future of telerehabilitation in Egypt.
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