Clinicians' Perspectives of a Novel Home-based Multidisciplinary Telehealth Service for Patients with Chronic Spinal Pain

Abstract

Chronic spinal pain conditions can often be successfully managed by a non-surgical, multidisciplinary approach, however many individuals are unable to access such specialised services within their local community. A possible solution may be the delivery of care via telerehabilitation. This study aimed to evaluate clinicians’ perspectives on providing clinical care via telerehabilitation during the early implementation of a novel spinal telerehabilitation service.  Eight clinicians’ were recruited, completing surveys at four separate time points. Confidence in providing treatment via telerehabilitation significantly improved with time (?2(3)=16.22, p=0.001). Clinicians became significantly more accepting of telerehabilitation being a time- (?2(3)=11.237, p=0.011), and cost-effective (?2(3)=9.466, p=0.024) platform in which they could deliver care. Overall satisfaction was high, with technology becoming easier to use (p=0.026) and ability to establish rapport significantly improved with experience (p=0.043). Understanding clinicians’ perspectives throughout the early implementation phase of a new telerehabilitation service is a critical component in determining long-term sustainability.