Does Telerehabilitation Help in Reducing Disability among People with Musculoskeletal Conditions? A Preliminary Study

Hana Alsobayel, Faris Alodaibi, Ali Albarrati, Norah Alsalamah, Fadwa Alhawas and Ahmed Alhowimel
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Hana Alsobayel: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Faris Alodaibi: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Ali Albarrati: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Norah Alsalamah: Saudi Physical Therapy Association, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Fadwa Alhawas: Saudi Physical Therapy Association, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Alhowimel: Department of Health and Rehabilitation Science, Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Introduction : During the coronavirus pandemic, an initiative was launched in Saudi Arabia to provide telerehabilitation for people with musculoskeletal conditions who were unable to access in-person physiotherapy due to the associated lockdown. The purpose of this study was to explore the therapeutic impact and acceptability of telerehabilitation among the Saudi population. Methods : Ninety-five participants were recruited through an online advertisement and received a physiotherapy consultation and interventions via an online video conference platform (Google Meet). Following screening for red flags, participants received tailored education and conditioning exercises 2–3 times a week for 6 weeks. Outcome measures were recorded at baseline and 6 weeks and comprised the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, Patient-Specific Functional Scale, Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire and a satisfaction survey. Results : The most frequent musculoskeletal conditions reported were lower back (37%), knee (14%) and neck (10%) pain and post-operative conditions (15%). Participants showed significant improvements in outcomes at the end of the program ( p < 0.001) with effect sizes ranging from 0.6 to −1.9 and reported a high level of satisfaction with the telerehabilitation intervention. Conclusion: This study showed that telerehabilitation was an acceptable method of providing physiotherapy interventions for patients with musculoskeletal conditions in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: telerehabilitation; physiotherapy; musculoskeletal; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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