The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study
BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required social, health, and rehabilitation organizations to implement remote physiotherapy (RP) as a part of physiotherapists’ daily practice. RP may improve access to physiotherapy as it delivers physiotherapy services to rehabili...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies |
| Online Access: | https://rehab.jmir.org/2022/2/e35569 |
| _version_ | 1797735028171472896 |
|---|---|
| author | Thomas Hellstén Jari Arokoski Tuulikki Sjögren Anna-Maija Jäppinen Jyrki Kettunen |
| author_facet | Thomas Hellstén Jari Arokoski Tuulikki Sjögren Anna-Maija Jäppinen Jyrki Kettunen |
| author_sort | Thomas Hellstén |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required social, health, and rehabilitation organizations to implement remote physiotherapy (RP) as a part of physiotherapists’ daily practice. RP may improve access to physiotherapy as it delivers physiotherapy services to rehabilitees through information and communications technology. Even if RP has already been introduced in this century, physiotherapists’ opinion, amount of use, and form in daily practice have not been studied extensively.
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate physiotherapists’ opinions of the current state of RP in Finland.
MethodsA quantitative, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire was sent to working-aged members of the Finnish Association of Physiotherapists (n=5905) in March 2021 and to physiotherapists in a private physiotherapy organization (n=620) in May 2021. The questionnaire included questions on the suitability of RP in different diseases and the current state and implementation of RP in work among physiotherapists.
ResultsOf the 6525 physiotherapists, a total of 9.9% (n=662; n=504, 76.1% female; mean age 46.1, SD 12 years) answered the questionnaire. The mean suitability “score” (0=not suitable at all to 10=fully suitable) of RP in different disease groups varied from 3.3 (neurological diseases) to 6.1 (lung diseases). Between early 2020 (ie, just before the COVID-19 pandemic) and spring 2021, the proportion of physiotherapists who used RP increased from 33.8% (21/62) to 75.4% (46/61; P<.001) in the public sector and from 19.7% (42/213) to 76.6% (163/213; P<.001) in the private sector. However, only 11.7% (32/274) of physiotherapists reported that they spent >20% of their practice time for RP in 2021. The real-time method was the most common RP method in both groups (public sector 46/66, 69.7% vs private sector 157/219, 71.7%; P=.47). The three most commonly used technical equipments were computers/tablets (229/290, 79%), smartphones (149/290, 51.4%), and phones (voice call 51/290, 17.6%). The proportion of physiotherapists who used computers/tablets in RP was higher in the private sector than in the public sector (183/221, 82.8% vs 46/68, 67.6%; P=.01). In contrast, a higher proportion of physiotherapists in the public sector than in the private sector used phones (18/68, 26.5% vs 33/221, 14.9%; P=.04).
ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, physiotherapists increased their use of RP in their everyday practice, although practice time in RP was still low. When planning RP for rehabilitees, it should be considered that the suitability of RP in different diseases seems to vary in the opinion of physiotherapists. Furthermore, our results brought up important new information for developing social, health, and rehabilitation education for information and communications technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:53:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ee461620b3c84797be39439854be8429 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2369-2529 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:53:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee461620b3c84797be39439854be84292023-08-28T22:14:07ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies2369-25292022-06-0192e3556910.2196/35569The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire StudyThomas Hellsténhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0898-8899Jari Arokoskihttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7023-2235Tuulikki Sjögrenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6908-4618Anna-Maija Jäppinenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3312-159XJyrki Kettunenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4155-7150 BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required social, health, and rehabilitation organizations to implement remote physiotherapy (RP) as a part of physiotherapists’ daily practice. RP may improve access to physiotherapy as it delivers physiotherapy services to rehabilitees through information and communications technology. Even if RP has already been introduced in this century, physiotherapists’ opinion, amount of use, and form in daily practice have not been studied extensively. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate physiotherapists’ opinions of the current state of RP in Finland. MethodsA quantitative, cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire was sent to working-aged members of the Finnish Association of Physiotherapists (n=5905) in March 2021 and to physiotherapists in a private physiotherapy organization (n=620) in May 2021. The questionnaire included questions on the suitability of RP in different diseases and the current state and implementation of RP in work among physiotherapists. ResultsOf the 6525 physiotherapists, a total of 9.9% (n=662; n=504, 76.1% female; mean age 46.1, SD 12 years) answered the questionnaire. The mean suitability “score” (0=not suitable at all to 10=fully suitable) of RP in different disease groups varied from 3.3 (neurological diseases) to 6.1 (lung diseases). Between early 2020 (ie, just before the COVID-19 pandemic) and spring 2021, the proportion of physiotherapists who used RP increased from 33.8% (21/62) to 75.4% (46/61; P<.001) in the public sector and from 19.7% (42/213) to 76.6% (163/213; P<.001) in the private sector. However, only 11.7% (32/274) of physiotherapists reported that they spent >20% of their practice time for RP in 2021. The real-time method was the most common RP method in both groups (public sector 46/66, 69.7% vs private sector 157/219, 71.7%; P=.47). The three most commonly used technical equipments were computers/tablets (229/290, 79%), smartphones (149/290, 51.4%), and phones (voice call 51/290, 17.6%). The proportion of physiotherapists who used computers/tablets in RP was higher in the private sector than in the public sector (183/221, 82.8% vs 46/68, 67.6%; P=.01). In contrast, a higher proportion of physiotherapists in the public sector than in the private sector used phones (18/68, 26.5% vs 33/221, 14.9%; P=.04). ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, physiotherapists increased their use of RP in their everyday practice, although practice time in RP was still low. When planning RP for rehabilitees, it should be considered that the suitability of RP in different diseases seems to vary in the opinion of physiotherapists. Furthermore, our results brought up important new information for developing social, health, and rehabilitation education for information and communications technologies.https://rehab.jmir.org/2022/2/e35569 |
| spellingShingle | Thomas Hellstén Jari Arokoski Tuulikki Sjögren Anna-Maija Jäppinen Jyrki Kettunen The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies |
| title | The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study |
| title_full | The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study |
| title_fullStr | The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study |
| title_short | The Current State of Remote Physiotherapy in Finland: Cross-sectional Web-Based Questionnaire Study |
| title_sort | current state of remote physiotherapy in finland cross sectional web based questionnaire study |
| url | https://rehab.jmir.org/2022/2/e35569 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thomashellsten thecurrentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT jariarokoski thecurrentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT tuulikkisjogren thecurrentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT annamaijajappinen thecurrentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT jyrkikettunen thecurrentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT thomashellsten currentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT jariarokoski currentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT tuulikkisjogren currentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT annamaijajappinen currentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy AT jyrkikettunen currentstateofremotephysiotherapyinfinlandcrosssectionalwebbasedquestionnairestudy |