Telehealth education and training in entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs in Australian universities: A qualitative study with university educators

Abstract

Background To explore attitudes to telehealth education and experiences incorporating telehealth education into entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs in Australia, from the perspective of university educators. Methods Qualitative design based on a constructivist paradigm and a phenomenological approach. Sixteen university educators (who had a responsibility for telehealth curriculum or oversight of the broader curriculum in an entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programme at an Australian university) were recruited. Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically using an inductive approach. Results Three themes (with associated subthemes) were identified: (i) telehealth education has a role in contemporary physiotherapy practice (COVID‐19 pandemic was a driver for telehealth education, acknowledgement that telehealth is here to stay and identified areas of focus for telehealth education and training); (ii) telehealth education and training vary substantially (content delivered and assessment of telehealth competency is ad hoc and student exposure to telehealth on clinical placements is inconsistent); (iii) challenges in telehealth education (finding space and time in the curriculum, as well as insufficient knowledge and expertise of staff, are challenges for implementation of telehealth education, however, course and subject development and/or reviews provide opportunities for implementing telehealth education and training). Conclusion Current content and volume of telehealth education and training in entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs across Australia varies substantially. Although educators believe telehealth is an important component of contemporary physiotherapy practice, many barriers exist for including telehealth training into the curriculum.

Physiotherapy students' attitudes toward the use of telehealth in clinical practice: A cross‐sectional survey

“…27 Our findings support this notion showing that most students did not receive telehealth education and training during their program, nor did they have opportunities during clinical placements where telehealth was practically applied. Prior training and experiential learning have been shown to enhance students' understanding…”

“…A recent study exploring the implementation of telehealth education and training in entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs across Australia found that substantial variations exist in the content and volume of telehealth education and training delivered 27 . For example, some universities scaffold content across the entire program, some include learning outcomes, while others include only an ad‐hoc discussion during a tutorial 27 . Our findings support this notion showing that most students did not receive telehealth education and training during their program, nor did they have opportunities during clinical placements where telehealth was practically applied.…”

“…It is clear there is a need for educators to implement some form of telehealth education and training into entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs to provide students with the foundational skills and knowledge required to practice in a digital environment. A recent study exploring the implementation of telehealth education and training in entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy programs across Australia found that substantial variations exist in the content and volume of telehealth education and training delivered 27 . For example, some universities scaffold content across the entire program, some include learning outcomes, while others include only an ad‐hoc discussion during a tutorial 27 .…”

“…Entry‐to‐practice physiotherapy training programs routinely focus on developing skills for in‐person assessment and management, often neglecting skill development for working in a digital environment. Telehealth education and training varies substantially across Australian undergraduate physiotherapy programs 9 . Some universities provide formal telehealth education that is scaffolded across the program, while others provide nothing more than anecdotal discussions during class or nothing at all 9,10 .…”

Co‐development and evaluation of the Musculoskeletal Telehealth Toolkit for physiotherapists

“…While many formal mandated restrictions may have been eased by mid‐2022, there was still a common feeling of cautiousness among the general public and overall willingness to use telehealth as a viable option compared to in‐person care by both physiotherapists and patients. Aligning with these thoughts, qualitative interviews conducted with Australian physiotherapy university educators in 2022 found that they believed telehealth was here to stay as a part of contemporary physiotherapy practice (Davies et al., 2023).…”