Exploring Compassionate Care in Virtual Rehabilitation: Qualitative Study.
Parminder Flora, Angela Tobia, Lee Verweel and 7 others
PMID 40403036WHAT IT FOUND
People with limb loss or COPD said compassion in virtual rehab came from feeling cared for, reassured, and heard.
They worried phone-only visits and feeling rushed weakened connection, but liked fitting care into daily life.
Key findings
01Participants felt compassion when providers showed caring, reassurance, and clear communication.
02The connection was threatened when participants could not see the provider and when they felt rushed.
03Clear appointment information and provider readiness made participants feel more prepared, while virtual care helped them fit health care into daily life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample of English-speaking adults from a rehabilitation hospital, so it may not reflect people who could not access virtual care. Participants had different virtual appointment types and activities, including phone or video and physiotherapy or consultation, which were not separated in the analysis. The study did not ask how many virtual appointments participants had attended, so comfort with technology may have shaped their views. Findings describe perceptions of compassion and virtual care benefits, not clinical outcomes or effectiveness.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that virtual rehabilitation improves function or satisfaction. The study interviewed people who had already completed a virtual appointment, so it cannot show results for patients who could not access virtual care.