Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun 22;13(1):e6334.
doi: 10.5195/ijt.2021.6334. eCollection 2021.

Telerehabilitation in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Giada Milani  1   2   3 , Giulia Demattè  4 , Matilde Ferioli  4 , Giulia Dallagà  3 , Susanna Lavezzi  3 , Nino Basaglia  3 , Sofia Straudi  3
Affiliations

Telerehabilitation in Italy During the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study

Giada Milani et al. Int J Telerehabil. .

Abstract

This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a telerehabilitation program during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of adult patients with physical disabilities. Of the twenty-three patients enrolled, 11 agreed to participate in a video-based telerehabilitation program. Barriers and facilitators to the adoption of telerehabilitation were identified and clinical, demographic, and psychological variables were analysed as predictors of success. Age, cognitive reserve, and resilience were significant predictors of satisfaction with telerehabilitation (p<0.05). The telerehabilitation program was perceived as feasible and was well accepted by patients, despite some technology challenges. However, patients who took advantage of telerehabilitation perceived differences in the quality of service and preferred traditional in-person treatment to service delivery via telerehabilitation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Disability; Physical therapy; Physiotherapy; Technology; Telemedicine; Telerehabilitation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Self-reported Advantages and Disadvantages of Telerehabilitation Program
Figure 2
Figure 2
Impact of Age and Resilience on Technology Familiarity
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adler, R. (2006). Older Americans, broadband and the future of the net. Santa Clara: SeniorNet.
    1. Armfield, N. R., Bradford, M., & Bradford, N. K. (2015). The clinical use of Skype—For which patients, with which problems and in which settings? A snapshot review of the literature. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 84(10), 737–742. 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2015.06.006 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Armfield, N. R., Gray, L. C., & Smith, A. C. (2012). Clinical use of Skype: A review of the evidence base. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 18(3), 125–127. 10.1258/jtt.2012.SFT101 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bandura, A., Freeman, W. H., & Lightsey, R. (1999). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York.
    1. Bangor, A., Kortum, P. T., & Miller, J. T. (2008). An empirical evaluation of the system usability scale. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 24(6), 574–594. 10.1080/10447310802205776 - DOI