International Journal of Telerehabilitation最新文献

The primary purpose of this study was to craft and validate a set of core competencies necessary for a tele-facilitator to possess in the school setting. Competencies were created through literature review and qualitative analysis. Following expert review, the competencies were revised and formatted into an online survey which was sent to respondents in four target groups: (a) school administrators who had adopted telepractice as a service delivery model; (b) speech-language pathologists (SLPs) experienced in telepractice within a school setting; (c) current tele-facilitators, and (d) scholars experienced in telepractice. Fifty-seven percent (20 out of 35) of the competencies were rated as "Essential Skills." The remaining competencies could be more or less important depending on workplace requirements.

The Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted research and healthcare system priorities, stimulating literature on implementation and evaluation of telerehabilitation for a variety of patient populations. While there is substantial literature on individual telerehabilitation, evidence about group telerehabilitation remains limited despite its increasing use by rehabilitation providers. Therefore, the purpose of this manuscript is to describe our expert team's consensus on practice considerations for adapting in-person group rehabilitation to group telerehabilitation to provide rapid guidance during a pandemic and create a foundation for sustainability of group telerehabilitation beyond the pandemic's end.

While telerehabilitation (TR) makes it possible to respond to many significant health system problems, TR still gives rise to debates, particularly concerning ethical issues. This qualitative study collected the opinions of stakeholders with varied profiles. A guided interview focused on discerning strategies that might foster the ethical deployment of TR. Such strategies were found to be linked to the decision-making of the public authorities, the role of scientific and professional bodies, the training of health professionals, and the management of patient information. Ethical issues relating to the development of TR included universal accessibility, patients' free choice, respect of privacy, and professional confidentiality. The ethical development of TR can be fostered by the provision of information to stakeholders as well as reminding practitioners of the ethical framework that regulates medical practice.

Objective: Due to social distancing guidelines during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, most providers and patients have wanted to avoid close contact. This makes physical therapy (PT) assessments difficult because of the lack of empirical evidence about the reliability of various clinical measurements performed in a virtual environment. One such procedure is the photometric measurement of craniovertebral (CV) angle. Craniovertebral angle measurement is usually performed in an outpatient setting and is defined as the acute angle formed between a straight line connecting the spinous process of C7 to the tragus of the ear, and the horizontal line passing through the spinous process of the C7. Although the photometric measurement of CV angles is considered both valid and reliable in the clinics, no empirical evidence exists about the CV angle measurement reliability when performed in a virtual environment. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intra-rater reliability of photometric CV angle measurement using a cloud-based video communication platform. Number of Subjects: 66 subjects (57 females).

Methods: All measurements were performed by two final year PT students who had completed the musculoskeletal part of the curriculum and were blinded to each other's measurements. Each subject was photographed in two postures over a HIPAA-compliant video-based telehealth platform: (1) normal/relaxed posture and (2) ideal posture (posture the subject considered good). Student researcher 1 measured the CV angle in both the relaxed posture and ideal posture, while student researcher 2 measured the CV angle only in the relaxed posture. Each subject's CV angle measurement was performed three times on three separate days and the means were used for further analysis. The shape of the CV angle frequency distribution was assessed using kurtosis and skewness values. Rater reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and interpreted based on the guidelines provided by Portney and Watkins (2009).

Results: The CV angles were normally distributed in both relaxed and ideal postures. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of relaxed posture was 50.7o ± 6.3o with kurtosis and skewness of 0.67 and -0.74 respectively. The mean and SD of ideal posture was 55.5o ± 5.4o, with kurtosis and skewness of 0.1 and -0.54 respectively. The ICC for inter-rater reliability in the relaxed posture was 0.88 and the ICC for intra-rater reliability for relaxed posture was 0.91.

Conclusions: Craniovertebral angles were normally distributed in the sample. An acceptable level of inter- and intra-rater reliability can be attained when measuring CV angle using a cloud-based video communication platform.

Introduction: Pre-pandemic, telepractice was not globally implemented despite its effectiveness. Clinicians reported challenges related to technology, confidence, and inadequate resources.

Objectives: To document global telepractice, identify current obstacles and measure the impact of a possible solution. The timing of this research facilitated tracking telepractice changes during the pandemic.

Methods: Two surveys measured practitioners' experience and attitude towards telepractice. Survey 1 was completed in February-March 2020. Participants then received two specialized lesson kits to trial if desired. Survey 2 was a follow-up after 4-6 weeks.

Results: Between surveys, the proportion of participants providing telepractice increased from 47.6% to 91.7%. The lesson kits were trialled by 74.3%. Their use had a positive impact on three of the top five factors affecting the delivery of telepractice: parent coaching, clinician experience and accessing resources. Conclusion: Telepractice was rapidly adopted globally during the pandemic. The specialized resources were helpful in overcoming some of the barriers to delivery.