Telehealth care responsiveness of UK primary care physiotherapy services during the COVID 19 pandemic

Karen Stenner, Victoria Traynor, Nicola Carey, Evangelos Pappas, Oluwatoyin Adeniji, Theti Chrysanthaki
Purpose:

This study explores telehealth care responsiveness of UK primary care physiotherapy services for MSK patients.

Methods:

Between January and April 2023, a cross-sectional national survey of physiotherapists in UK primary care managing MSK patients was conducted to assess telehealth care responsiveness, using 10-item indicators adapted from the WHO responsiveness framework. The survey was designed using a 3-point Likert scale ranging from agreement to disagreement. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics.

Results:

Ninety-nine physiotherapists practicing in primary care participated in the study across the UK. 87.8% noted the adoption of telehealth care, while 75.8% of the telehealth care adoption occurred within the first three months following WHO’s declaration of COVID 19 as a pandemic (March -June 2020). In terms of telehealth responsiveness, there was strong agreement on respect (87.5%), and excellent communication with patients (81.3%). In addition, there was agreement on patient’s autonomy (65.6%) prompt attention – timeliness of care (59.4%), convenience of service (56.7%), and access to social support (51.7%). However, there was disagreement in prompt attention – waiting time for investigations (41.9%), and choice - telehealth care or in person care (34.4%). In addition, participants were neutral regarding patient’s confidentiality with telehealth care (82.4%). 

Conclusion(s):

While primary care physiotherapy services for MSK patients demonstrated reasonable responsiveness with rapid adoption of telehealth care within the first three months of the pandemic, inadequate readiness may have impacted their responsiveness level. Addressing this issue may involve learning from both successes and failures to develop strategies that prepare and equip primary care physiotherapy services for more responsive telehealth care.

Implications:

This study highlights the importance of telehealth care planning, including both proactive and ongoing strategies for continuous improvement, to ensure healthcare services as an essential human right are delivered in a way that meets the expectations and needs of MSK patients, now, and in case of future crises.

Funding acknowledgements:
This is part of a PhD-project jointly funded by the University of Surrey, UK and the University of Wollongong, Australia
Keywords:
telehealth care
Physiotherapy
primary care
Primary topic:
Primary health care
Second topic:
Service delivery/emerging roles
Third topic:
Musculoskeletal
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
University of Surrey Research Governance Office, UK
Provide the ethics approval number:
FHMS-21-22-136 EGA
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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