Stark AL, Krayter S, Dockweiler C. Competencies required by patients and health professionals regarding telerehabilitation: A scoping review.
Digit Health 2023;
9:20552076231218841. [PMID:
38107985 PMCID:
PMC10722929 DOI:
10.1177/20552076231218841]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
Telerehabilitation offers patients alternative access to therapy and has become more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the increasing attractiveness of such programs, there are research gaps regarding the required competencies in the demand-oriented technology use in rehabilitative care.
Objective
The study aims at collecting evidence on competencies required by patients and health professionals for using telerehabilitation. We analyse tasks and requirements associated with telerehabilitation and derive and systematise relevant competencies.
Methods
We conducted a scoping review and analysed MEDLINE, Psyndex, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for empirical studies and grey literature from 2017 to May 2022. Articles had to be in English/German and refer to medical rehabilitation accompanied by health professionals taking place in the patient's home.
Results
One hundred ten articles were included, covering video conferencing systems, applications with video, audio, or visual therapy content, or wearables. Depending on the program, tasks before, during, and after therapy sessions differ, as do whether these are performed by health professionals, patients, or the technology. Users need digital, health-related, social, personal, and health professionals also professional competencies. This comprises telerehabilitation, technical, health-related, and clinical knowledge, a range of physical, cognitive, social-interactive, technical, and clinical skills, a positive attitude towards telerehabilitation and experience. Whether sociodemographic factors promote successful use is unclear.
Conclusions
Telerehabilitation requires a variety of different competencies from patients and health professionals - going beyond the sphere of technical skills. This highlights the need for an evaluation of existing programs for promoting competencies in the use of telerehabilitation and refinement of the programs in line with demands.
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