Kang Justin, Parent Claire A, Pipicelli Joey, Davidson Jacob, Symonette Caitlin
Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.
Department of Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada.
J Hand Ther. 2025 Mar 13. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2025.01.006.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift in healthcare delivery, necessitating the rapid adoption of technology, including telerehabilitation. This study focused on understanding the current perspectives and experiences of hand therapists in Canada and the United States regarding implementation of telerehabilitation in hand therapy, traditionally reliant on in-person interactions.
The study aimed to assess the utilization, perceptions, and barriers of telerehabilitation among hand therapists, providing insights into challenges and opportunities for incorporation into practices.
A cross-sectional survey collected responses from hand therapists through electronic surveys distributed via the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) and the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists (CSHT) mailing lists.
The survey, approved by the Western University Health Sciences Research Ethics Board, included nine demographic questions, eight rating questions, and four open-ended questions, focusing on technology acceptance and telerehabilitation satisfaction. Participants met criteria as licensed therapists with expertise in hand rehabilitation, practicing in Canada or the United States.
A total of 129 participants completed the survey. Most therapists (84.3%) reported high comfort with basic technology, yet only 56.8% used technology in practice. Common modalities included internet (71.2%), telephone (61.8%), and smartphone applications (53.2%). Only 1.6% reported frequently using biometrics, and 0.0% for advanced technologies like wearables. While 75% recognized telerehabilitation's usefulness in improving patient accessibility, 91.5% believed it could not fully replace traditional methods. Concerns included poor quality in assessing orthoses fit (69.9%) and strength (53.3%). United States respondents were less likely to report current use of telerehabilitation (OR: 0.195; 95% CI [0.064-0.595]).
The study addressed technology-related challenges and highlights hand therapists' perceptions towards integrating telerehabilitation. Barriers related to rural areas and diverse patient conditions emphasize the importance of tailored approaches. Future directions should explore emerging technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence for enhanced clinical effectiveness of telerehabilitation.
新冠疫情促使医疗服务模式发生转变，需要迅速采用包括远程康复在内的技术。本研究聚焦于了解加拿大和美国手部治疗师对于在传统上依赖面对面互动的手部治疗中实施远程康复的当前观点和经验。
该研究旨在评估手部治疗师对远程康复的利用情况、认知及障碍，为将其纳入实践中的挑战和机遇提供见解。
一项横断面调查通过经由美国手部治疗师协会（ASHT）和加拿大手部治疗师协会（CSHT）邮件列表分发的电子调查问卷收集手部治疗师的回复。
该调查经西部大学健康科学研究伦理委员会批准，包括九个关于人口统计学的问题、八个评分问题和四个开放式问题，重点关注技术接受度和远程康复满意度。参与者符合在加拿大或美国执业的、具有手部康复专业知识的持牌治疗师标准。
共有129名参与者完成了调查。大多数治疗师（84.3%）表示对基本技术高度适应，但实际使用技术的仅占56.8%。常见方式包括互联网（71.2%）、电话（61.8%）和智能手机应用程序（53.2%）。只有1.6%的人报告经常使用生物识别技术，而对于可穿戴设备等先进技术，这一比例为0.0%。虽然75%的人认识到远程康复在改善患者可及性方面的有用性，但91.5%的人认为它不能完全取代传统方法。担忧包括评估矫形器适配性（69.9%）和力量（53.3%）时质量不佳。美国受访者报告当前使用远程康复的可能性较小（比值比：0.195；95%置信区间[0.064 - 0.595]）。
该研究探讨了与技术相关的挑战，并突出了手部治疗师对整合远程康复的看法。与农村地区和多样患者情况相关的障碍强调了采用量身定制方法的重要性。未来的方向应探索虚拟现实和人工智能等新兴技术，以提高远程康复的临床效果。
