Title

Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapist Practice

Authoring Organization

American Physical Therapy Association

Publication Month/Year

March 20, 2024

Last Updated Month/Year

October 10, 2024

Document Type

Guideline

Country of Publication

US

Document Objectives

The purpose of this CPG is to guide the delivery of physical therapist services via telerehabilitation (either 100% telerehabilitation or a hybrid of in person and telerehabilitation) to individuals of all ages with health conditions, based on the current best evidence.

Target Patient Population

Individuals of all ages with various health conditions

Target Provider Population

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants

PICO Questions

  1. For patients seeking physical therapy, what is the efficacy of providing tele-rehab compared to traditional in-person care for patient clinical and functional outcomes and diagnostic accuracy?

  2. In patients seeking physical therapy, what is the accuracy of tele-rehab compared to traditional in-person care for diagnosing conditions requiring physical therapy?

  3. For patients enrolled in physical therapy, what is the efficacy of providing 100% tele-rehab or hybrid care compared to traditional in-person care for patient clinical and functional outcomes?

  4. For patients enrolled in physical therapy, what is the efficacy of providing 100% telerehab or hybrid care compared to traditional in-person care for occurrence of adverse/negative events?

  5. For patients enrolled in physical therapy, what is the result of providing 100% telerehab or hybrid care compared to traditional in-person care on user acceptability/usability?

  6. For patients enrolled in physical therapy, what is the cost-effectiveness of providing telerehab compared to traditional in-person care?

  7. What are the facilitators and barriers to telehealth implementation for patients and providers?

  8. What are the facilitators and barriers to telehealth implementation for providers?

Inclusion Criteria

Male, Female, Adult, Older adult

Health Care Settings

Ambulatory, Home health, Outpatient, Telehealth

Intended Users

Nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, physician assistant

Scope

Diagnosis, Assessment and screening, Treatment

Diseases/Conditions (MeSH)

D026741 - Physical Therapy Modalities

Keywords

telerehabilitation, telehealth

Source Citation

Lee AC, Latz RL, Russell T, et al. Telerehabilitation in Physical Therapist Practice: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association. Physical Therapy. March 21, 2024. doi:10.1093/ptj/pzae045