Exploring the patient experience of telehealth hand therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melissa J Hirth, Jodie Hahn, Rebecca J Jamwal
PMID 36127236WHAT IT FOUND
Hand therapy patients who had video telehealth appointments mostly said the model was convenient and worth continuing.
They valued fitting therapy around commitments and avoiding travel, but some missed hands-on care.
Key findings
01117 respondents said telehealth should continue in some form, and 97 reported no challenges.
0265 respondents reported saving 10 to 29 minutes of travel time each way, and 44 reported saving 30 minutes or more each way.
03Most participants reported being satisfied with the treatment they received, but two respondents' open comments did not align with their satisfaction ratings.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The survey was from one outpatient hand therapy service and used a convenience sample, so it may not represent all telehealth patients. Some respondents misread the satisfaction scale, so satisfaction ratings need cautious interpretation. Participants were surveyed at different points in their treatment, and treatment status was not collected. Sex and gender were not captured. The study did not compare clinical hand therapy outcomes between telehealth and face-to-face care.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these reports as evidence that telehealth gives better hand recovery than face-to-face therapy. The survey only asked about experience and satisfaction, not clinical outcomes, and some patients still needed in-person care for hands-on treatment or orthoses.