Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff|Heiner Baur|Leah Reicherzer|Markus Wirz|Fabienne Keller|Emmanuelle Opsommer|Veronika Schoeb|Stefano Vercelli|Marco Barbero
Physiotherapists’ use and perceptions of digital remote physiotherapy during COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: an online cross-sectional survey
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences|Sulzer (Switzerland)|Bern University of Applied Sciences|ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences|Sulzer (Switzerland)|ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences|Sulzer (Switzerland)|University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland|University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland|University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland|University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland|University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland
abstract background swiss containment strategy covid19 pandemic first wave spring 2020 resulted moratorium nonurgent physiotherapy via regular direct patient contact consequently physiotherapy sessions declined 84 study investigates impact moratorium use digital remote physiotherapy switzerland period perceptions use swiss physiotherapists pts methods crosssectional online questionnaire distributed june august 2020 via swiss physiotherapy association physioswiss various associations physiotherapy specialists eg sport pediatric working inpatient outpatient settings questionnaire designed capture demographics participants perceptions pts using 33 questions following domains demography attitudes towards digital technology private professional use digital technology use digital technology therapy support requirements closed openended questions included frequency answers analyzed nonparametric inferential statistics used identify differences appropriate checklist reporting results internet esurveys cherries adopted results participants survey 742 pts 235 male mean age 43 years mean working experience 18 years germanspeaking 755 frenchspeaking 151 italianspeaking 94 regions switzerland percentage pts using digital remote therapy increased 49 prior lockdown 446 lockdown period majority pts consider digital remote therapy could complement usual physiotherapy practice plan continue digital remote therapy pandemic conclusions lockdown swiss pts adopted various lowcost easily accessible digital technologies however several barriers hampered implementation modality specific education training programs need provided among pts appropriate digital technologies introduced correct reimbursement scheme developed trial registration covidphysio registry world physiotherapy registered 15th june 2020 httpsworldphysiocovid19informationhubcovid19covidphysioregistry