Vuonoranta J1,2, Jeglinsky-Kankainen I3
1Arcada- University of Applied Sciences, Rehabilitation Master’s Degree, Helsinki, Finland, 2Helsinki University Hospital, Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation, Helsinki, Finland, 3Arcada- University of Applied Sciences, Rehabilitation, Helsinki, Finland
Background: The rehabilitation process of burn injury patients is long and demanding. The treatment of burn injury patients has been centralized the Burn Center of Finland, which means that the treatment of many patients is located far from their hometown. In the hometowns of the patients where continuous rehabilitation is given, physiotherapists and occupational therapists often have little experience of burn injuries. Digital services could be utilized in the future rehabilitation of the patients.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out how digital services could be utilized in the continuing rehabilitation of burn patients, from a staff perspective. The idea was also to research what kind of instructions, guidance and support physiotherapists and occupational therapists find to be useful.
Methods: Data was collected using internet based questionnaire. The participants of the study were physiotherapists and occupational therapists who during the years 2016-2017 have been giving rehabilitation to a burn patient, after being treated at the Burn Center of Finland. These therapists work at University hospitals, central hospitals, primary health care and private companies. In total, the survey was sent to 41 therapists, of which 15 answered.
Results: The results of the study showed that digital services could be useful during different stages of the rehabilitation process of burn patients. Fluent communication between the various healthcare institutions is the key to successful rehabilitation. Respondents felt that digital services would be useful in the future. Some themes could clearly be highlighted from the answers. The issues that came up from the responses were instructions for professionals, real-time remote meetings, and personalized digital services for the patients. Based on the results of the survey and earlier studies, the first draft for digital services for Finnish burn patients has been made.
Conclusion(s): The demand of digital services for burn patients is clear, and the requirement is high for this patient group. According to the results of the study, there is also interest and motivation among the staff.
Implications: The results of this study can be utilized when developing digital services for burn patients in Rehabilitation hub. Rehabilitation hub is a part of the Virtual Hospital 2.0 project.
Keywords: Burn patient, rehabilitation, virtual
Funding acknowledgements: The study received no external funding.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out how digital services could be utilized in the continuing rehabilitation of burn patients, from a staff perspective. The idea was also to research what kind of instructions, guidance and support physiotherapists and occupational therapists find to be useful.
Methods: Data was collected using internet based questionnaire. The participants of the study were physiotherapists and occupational therapists who during the years 2016-2017 have been giving rehabilitation to a burn patient, after being treated at the Burn Center of Finland. These therapists work at University hospitals, central hospitals, primary health care and private companies. In total, the survey was sent to 41 therapists, of which 15 answered.
Results: The results of the study showed that digital services could be useful during different stages of the rehabilitation process of burn patients. Fluent communication between the various healthcare institutions is the key to successful rehabilitation. Respondents felt that digital services would be useful in the future. Some themes could clearly be highlighted from the answers. The issues that came up from the responses were instructions for professionals, real-time remote meetings, and personalized digital services for the patients. Based on the results of the survey and earlier studies, the first draft for digital services for Finnish burn patients has been made.
Conclusion(s): The demand of digital services for burn patients is clear, and the requirement is high for this patient group. According to the results of the study, there is also interest and motivation among the staff.
Implications: The results of this study can be utilized when developing digital services for burn patients in Rehabilitation hub. Rehabilitation hub is a part of the Virtual Hospital 2.0 project.
Keywords: Burn patient, rehabilitation, virtual
Funding acknowledgements: The study received no external funding.
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation; Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Arcada- University of Applied Sciences
Ethics committee: Finnish national board on researtch integrity (TENK)
Reason not required: Ethics approval was not needed, since the study did not include patients.. Research permit was received from 16 authorities.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
