Implementation of Telerehabilitation in Response to COVID-19: Lessons Learnt from Neurorehabilitation Clinical Practice and Education

Abstract

The health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on neurorehabilitation provision both internationally and in New Zealand. Telerehabilitation, the delivery of rehabilitation at a distance using information and communication technologies, was advocated as a means of addressing the rehabilitation needs of our patients while maintaining physical distancing and reducing the risk of viral transmission. Despite research evidence indicating that telerehabilitation is as effective as in-person rehabilitation for people with neurological conditions, there were significant challenges in delivering and sustaining telerehabilitation practice. We draw upon our experiences in delivering telerehabilitation in neurorehabilitation clinical practice and education to reflect on the process of practice change and to consider how these experiences can inform practice development in the future. We propose that rehabilitation organisations and physiotherapists continue to develop capability to provide telerehabilitation; that physiotherapists and the physiotherapy profession focus on translating their communicative, relational and clinical skills to the digital space to ensure they are competent in telerehabilitation; and that, as a profession, we focus on what constitutes “best practice” in telerehabilitation, and how in-person and telerehabilitation can be integrated to provide engaging, evidence-based and person-centred rehabilitation.