Exploring perceptions of and willingness to use telerehabilitation during the Covid-19 among physiotherapists in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study / Mohamad Hafiz Abu Seman … [et al.]

This study aimed to investigate the physiotherapists' perceptions of and readiness to use telerehabilitation in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic and the barriers to effective telerehabilitation implementation. An online questionnaire was sent to the Malaysian Physiotherapy Association (MPA) members. Most participants (86%) believed that telerehabilitation is a practical approach for providing physiotherapy services to patients, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 92.8% stated that telerehabilitation has the potential to save costs and travel time. A total of 90.9% of participants were ready to deliver physiotherapy services via telerehabilitation. The common barriers identified were a lack of appropriate equipment training, user-friendly software, expensive equipment, and patient privacy and confidentiality. Overall, physiotherapists in Malaysia were ready to use telerehabilitation, but the identified barrier must be addressed for effective telerehabilitation adoption.