Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapist Practice: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American Physical Therapy Association

Alan C Lee; Judith E Deutsch; Lesley Holdsworth; Sandra L Kaplan; Heidi Kosakowski; Robert Latz; Lydia Lennox McNeary; Jennifer O'Neil; Oscar Ronzio; Kelly Sanders; Michelle Sigmund-Gaines; Michele Wiley; Trevor Russell

doi:10.1093/ptj/pzae045

Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapist Practice: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American Physical Therapy Association

Phys Ther. 2024 May 1;104(5):pzae045. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzae045.

Authors

Alan C Lee¹, Judith E Deutsch^{2

3}, Lesley Holdsworth⁴, Sandra L Kaplan⁵, Heidi Kosakowski⁶, Robert Latz⁷, Lydia Lennox McNeary⁸, Jennifer O'Neil⁹, Oscar Ronzio¹⁰, Kelly Sanders¹¹, Michelle Sigmund-Gaines¹², Michele Wiley¹³, Trevor Russell¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Physical Therapy Department, Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles, California, USA.
² Rivers Lab, Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, Program Physical Therapy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
³ Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, Program Physical Therapy, Graduate School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
⁴ NHS 24, Caledonia House, 140 Fifty Pitches Rd, Cardinals, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
⁵ Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, Program Physical Therapy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
⁶ World Physiotherapy, Head of Membership and Policy, Unit 17, Empire Square, London, United Kingdom.
⁷ Chief Information Office (CIO), Trinity Rehabilitation Services, Florence, Kentucky, USA.
⁸ School of Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, USA.
⁹ Physiotherapy Program, School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
¹⁰ Member of World Physiotherapy, Argentine Association of Kinesiology, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
¹¹ Movement for Life Physical Therapy, Atascadero, California, USA.
¹² Oregon Physical Therapist Licensing Board, Tigard, Oregon, USA.
¹³ Department of Physical Therapy, Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia, USA.
¹⁴ RECOVER Injury Research Centre, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Abstract

A clinical practice guideline on telerehabilitation was developed by an American Physical Therapy Association volunteer guideline development group consisting of international physical therapists and physiotherapists, a physician, and a consumer. The guideline was based on systematic reviews of current scientific literature, clinical information, and accepted approaches to telerehabilitation in physical therapist practice. Seven recommendations address the impact of, preparation for, and implementation of telerehabilitation in physical therapist practice. Research recommendations identify current gaps in knowledge. Overall, with shared decision-making between clinicians and patients to inform patients of service delivery options, direct and indirect costs, barriers, and facilitators of telerehabilitation, the evidence supports the use of telerehabilitation by physical therapists for both examination and intervention. The Spanish and Chinese versions of this clinical practice guideline, as well as the French version of the recommendations, are available as supplementary material (Suppl. Materials).

Keywords: Physical Therapist; Telehealth; Telerehabilitation.

Publication types

Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

Humans
Physical Therapists
Physical Therapy Modalities / standards
Physical Therapy Specialty / standards
Telerehabilitation*
United States

Grants and funding

American Physical Therapy Association