Feasibility and Acceptability of Telemedicine to Substitute Outpatient Rehabilitation Services in the COVID-19 Emergency in Italy: An Observational Everyday Clinical-Life Study.
Stefano Negrini, Sabrina Donzelli, Alberto Negrini and 3 others
PMID 32800748WHAT IT FOUND
Telemedicine maintained outpatient services with high satisfaction.
Physiotherapy sessions recovered during the telemedicine phase, but consultation volumes remained lower than pre-pandemic levels. Most patients did not require a subsequent face-to-face visit.
Key findings
01Physiotherapy service volume recovered during the telemedicine phase compared to the initial drop, while consultation volume did not recover.
02Only 0.5% of patients required a follow-up face-to-face consultation after a telemedicine visit.
03Patient satisfaction with telemedicine services averaged 2.8 out of 3 on quality questionnaires.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is observational with a historical control, so it cannot prove causality or effectiveness of specific clinical outcomes. Selection bias is likely: patients with more severe conditions or those less comfortable with technology may have canceled or avoided telemedicine. The digital divide (lack of internet or devices) may have excluded specific populations. The study period was short (15 working days of telemedicine), so long-term adherence and clinical outcomes are unknown. Satisfaction data had a 38% response rate, which may not represent all patients.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest declarations were provided in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the recovery in physiotherapy session numbers as evidence that clinical outcomes (such as deformity correction or function) were maintained or improved. The study only measures service volume and satisfaction, not patient health results.