Physical Therapists&rsquo; Perception And Utilization Of Digital Remote Physical Therapy During Covid-19 Pandemic In The Philippines: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

Aliyah Nicole  Y. Garcia,; Raina Marie  D. Posadas,; Trina  B. Margate,; Marie Jasthine  R. Conzon,; Noel  R. San Antonio,

Physical Therapists’ Perception And Utilization Of Digital Remote Physical Therapy During Covid-19 Pandemic In The Philippines: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

Aliyah Nicole Y. Garcia | Marie Jasthine R. Conzon | Trina B. Margate | Raina Marie D. Posadas | Noel R. San Antonio

Abstract:

The emergence of COVID-19 in the Philippines disrupted traditional physical therapy rehabilitation and introduced the alternative system of digital rehabilitation in order to maintain the delivery of health services within established health and safety protocols. Physical therapists (PTs) perceived utility as a vital predictor of acceptance and present and future use of this platform. This study describes and correlates the perception and utilization of physical therapists in the Philippines of digital remote physical therapy during this period. An adapted crosssectional questionnaire was distributed among members of the Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) via an online link and in-person recruitment in hospitals and clinics. The 23- item survey was subdivided into the following sections: demography, perception, and utilization of digital remote physical therapy. Demographic variables were described through their frequency and percentage. Statements in the rest of the section were scored using a 5-point Likert scale, averaged for a corresponding verbal interpretation, and ranked. The Pearson correlation method determined the relationship between perception and utilization. The majority of the respondents (n=60) were female (60%), between the ages 26- 30 years old (41.67%), and worked as a physical therapist for 1-5 years (50%). The participants of the study had a total of 60 physical therapists in the Philippines who practiced digital remote (60% female, the majority drawn from the age range of 26-30 years old, with mean working experience of 1-5 years). Physical therapists in the Philippines were found to have a neutral perception of digital remote physical therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic (μ=2.67), showing they rarely utilized digital technology, and by extension practiced digital remote physical therapy, during the COVID-19 pandemic (μ=2.31). There is a strong correlation between the physical therapists’ level of perception and utilization of digital remote physical therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that whether the perception level is high or low, the level of utilization will be the same. In this case, it was found that physical therapists in the Philippines exhibited a low degree of perception and therefore a low utilization. The extent of its practical application was decidedly substantially limited in a majority of patient management and services, therefore marking the low indication of its overall utilization.

References:

Albahrouh, S. I. & Buabbas, A. J. (2021). Physiotherapists’ perceptions of and willingness to use telerehabilitation in Kuwait during the covid-19 pandemic. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making.
Almojaibel et al. (2020) Health Care Practitioners’ Determinants of Telerehabilitation Acceptance. Int J Telerehabil. 12(1):43-50.
Aloyuni et al. (2020) Knowledge, Attitude, and Barriers to Telerehabilitation-Based Physical Therapy Practice in Saudi Arabia. Comprehensive Clinical Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, 8(4), 460.
Bull et al. (2016) Considerations for the Telehealth Systems of Tomorrow: An analysis of student perceptions of Telehealth Technologies.
Capellan, T., & Sineus, W. (2019). Physical therapists’ perception on the use of telehealth in patient care.
Damhus, C. S., Emme, C., & Hansen, H. (2018). Barriers and enablers of COPD telerehabilitation - a frontline staff perspective. International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 13, 2473–2482.
Hall, J. B., Woods, M. L., & Luechtefeld, J. T. (2021). Pediatric Physical Therapy Telehealth and COVID-19: Factors, Facilitators, and Barriers Influencing Effectiveness-a Survey Study. Pediatric Physical Therapy, (3)33, 112–118.
Kruse et al. (2018) Evaluating barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide: A systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 24(1):4-12. Lee, A. (2020). COVID-19 and the Advancement of Digital Physical Therapist Practice and Telehealth, Physical Therapy, 100(7): 1054–1057.
Leochico C. F. (2020). Adoption of telerehabilitation in a developing country before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 63(6), 563–564. Leochico et al. (2020) Challenges to the Emergence of Telerehabilitation in a Developing Country: A Systematic Review. Front Neurol. 11:1007.
McLeod, S. A. (2019) Likert scale. Simply Psychology. Available from World Wide Web: www.simplypsychology.org/likert-scale.html.
Milani et al. (2021) Telerehabilitation in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study. International journal of telerehabilitation, 13(1), e6334.
Mills et al. (2020) Telemedicine and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are We Ready to Go Live?. Advances in skin & wound care, 33(8), 410–417.
Mubaraki et al. (2021) Advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic era among physicians in Taif, Saudi Arabia. Saudi medical journal, 42(1), 110–115.
Niknejad et al. (2021) Understanding Telerehabilitation Technology to Evaluate Stakeholders’ Adoption of Telerehabilitation Services: A Systematic Literature Review and Directions for Further Research. Archives of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation, 102(7), 1390-1402.
Palacios-Ceña et al. (2021) Future Challenges for Physical Therapy During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study on the Experience of Physical Therapists in Spain. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, (18).
Peretti et al. (2017) Telerehabilitation: Review of the State-of-the-Art and Areas of Application. JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies, 4(2), e7.
Rausch et al. (2021) Physiotherapists’ use and perceptions of digital remote physiotherapy during COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: an online cross-sectional survey. Arch Physiother, 11(18).
Randall et al. (2016) Measuring knowledge, acceptance, and perceptions of telehealth in an interprofessional curriculum for student nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Journal of Interactive Learning Research.
Rettinger et al. (2021) Changing attitudes towards teletherapy in Austrian therapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of telemedicine and telecare.
Saaei, F., & Klappa, S.G. (2021). Rethinking Telerehabilitation: Attitudes of Physical Therapists and Patients. Journal of Patient Experience, (8).
Shenoy, M.P., Shenoy, P.D. (2018). Identifying the Challenges and Cost-effectiveness of Telerehabilitation: A Narrative Review. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, (12)12.
Sidelil et al. (2021) Attitude towards tele rehabilitation-based therapy services and its associated factors among health professionals working in specialized teaching hospitals in Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Medical Inform. Decis. Mak
Tyagi et al. (2018) Acceptance of Tele-Rehabilitation by Stroke Patients: Perceived Barriers and Facilitators. ScienceDirect, 12 (99), e2.