Perceptions and understanding of tele-physiotherapy: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tele-physiotherapy continues to rise, noticeably in Saudi Arabia which established a tele-physiotherapy initiative in 2018. However, data about the population’s understanding of tele-physiotherapy are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To explore Saudi population’s perception of tele-physiotherapy, and the correlation between quality of life and tele-physiotherapy preferences. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey conducted on Riyadh residents, using a self-administered tele-physiotherapy survey and the SF-12 quality of life (QoL) index (Arabic version). RESULTS: Of 1011 participants, 85.3% were female, 50.8% were aged 26 to 50 years, almost 75% had university-level education, and 34.2% were employed. Only 19% had heard about tele-physiotherapy, with 43.7% of them citing social media as a source. Only 2.5% had tried tele-physiotherapy. Almost half reported uncertainty about most of the tele-physiotherapy questions, and over half recognised limitations e.g., anxiety about incorrectly performing the exercises (79.7%), therapist communication (51.7%), technical problems (70.7%), and privacy violations (66.3%). However, 58.7% said they would try tele-physiotherapy. There was no significant correlation between SF-12 QoL scores and participants’ tele-physiotherapy knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant lack of knowledge among our cohort of patients about tele-physiotherapy. Even though, the willingness to try tele-physiotherapy was generally positive. More strategies need to be implemented to educate the Saudi individuals about tele-physiotherapy.