Telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Patients and Physical Therapists’ Experiences

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore satisfaction and attitudes of patients towards the use of telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic and to report the experience of physical therapists (PTs) with the use of telerehabilitation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A modified Telemedicine Satisfaction and Usefulness Questionnaire was used to assess the satisfaction and attitudes of musculoskeletal patients who had received telerehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight PTs to explore their experiences with telerehabilitation, including difficulties and benefits. RESULTS: Out of 53 patients who received telerehabilitation, 46 questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 86.8%. In general, the patients were satisfied with and had positive attitudes towards the telerehabilitation services. The majority (89.2%) of the patients felt more involved in their care via telerehabilitation and a majority (93.5%) believed that video call sessions were a convenient form of telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven out of 8 PTs reported benefits of telerehabilitation (i.e., reduced patients' waiting lists and improved access to physical therapy care). Also, they were in favour of continuing using telerehabilitation to support the conventional physical therapy care, despite the lack of technological infrastructure. CONCLUSION: The patients as well as the PTs were generally satisfied with their telerehabilitation experiences. Using telerehabilitation in Kuwait was favoured as an adjunct method during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with extensive training, optimal allocation of resources, and the development of local guidelines, telerehabilitation would become an effective mean for the health delivery system in Kuwait.