Telerehabilitation for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: Patients’ Preferences in Aotearoa New Zealand

Introduction Telerehabilitation offers the potential to improve access to specialty rehabilitation for people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and reduce health disparities for those living in geographically rural/remote areas. The success of telerehabilitation depends on the extent to which the service meets the patient’s needs and their ability to access the services remotely.

Aim This study aims to help Healthcare practitioners and government agencies develop effective and patient-centred telerehabilitation services for mTBI patients.

Methods Participants were mTBI survivors or close acquaintances of a mTBI patient. The survey involved asking participants to choose between hypothetical rehabilitation scenarios with varying attributes, including the session duration (long or short), location (clinic-based vs telerehabilitation), therapist involvement, inclusion of online resources, associated cost and community COVID-19 threats.

Results The results suggest that there was a preference for rehabilitation rather than no rehabilitation, with an overall preference for long telerehabilitation sessions. The results differed somewhat between the groups, with people living with a mTBI being more positive towards clinic-based sessions and less impacted by the threat of COVID-19. The results are consistent with the proposition that individuals prefer telerehabilitation appointments. Although preferences differed between groups, the preference for telerehabilitation persisted, driven by time and cost considerations associated with in-person visits.

Discussion The findings suggest that mTBI patients value rehabilitation services, and that Healthcare practitioners and government agencies should consider offering long telerehabilitation sessions. Further research is warranted to assess the efficacy and feasibility of implementing telerehabilitation programs in clinical settings for mTBI patients.