REQUIRED CAPABILITIES FOR USING TELEMONITORING IN PHYSIOTHERAPY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY AMONG PHYSIOTHERPY TEACHERS

Abstract
Background: The use of telehealth in healthcare develops rapidly. Telemonitoring (TM), as part of telehealth, allows physiotherapists to monitor and coach their patients using remotely collected data. The use of TM requires a different approach than face-to-face treatment, since healthcare professionals will not always see the patient in practise. The availability of the technology, financial resources, and limited experience and competencies of healthcare professionals are known as barriers for implementation of TM. In addition, although a telehealth capability framework exists for healthcare professionals, it remains unclear what specific capabilities are required to use TM during physiotherapy treatments.
Purpose: This study aims to identify the capabilities required to use TM in physiotherapy treatment.
Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a constructivist semi-structured grounded theory approach. Three heterogeneous focus group discussions were conducted with 15 lecturers of the School of Physiotherapy (BSc.) from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Focus group discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Capabilities for using TM in physiotherapy treatment were identified during an iterative process of data collection and analysis, based on an existing eHealth capability framework for graduates and health professionals. This framework consists of four different domains; digital health technologies; systems, and policies, clinical practice and application; data analysis and knowledge creation; and system and technology implementation. Team discussions supported further conceptualization of the findings.
Results: Seventeen capabilities for the use of TM in physiotherapy treatment were identified related to in the domains ‘digital health technologies, systems, and policies’, ’clinical practice and application’ and ‘data analysis and knowledge creation’. No capabilities were identified in the domain ‘system and technology implementation’.
Conclusion: The use of TM in physiotherapy treatment requires different capabilities than those used in regular treatment. To make the best use of TM in physiotherapy treatment, it is important to integrate these capabilities into the education of current and future physiotherapists.