Veteran and Provider Satisfaction with a Home-Based Telerehabilitation Assessment for Wheelchair Seating and Mobility

Abstract

The objective of this project was to measure Veteran and provider satisfaction with a home-based telerehabilitation assessment for wheelchair seating and mobility. Forty-three Veterans were seen remotely at their place of residence by a provider, using a VA Video Connect synchronous videoconferencing system. Veteran and provider satisfaction were collected using the Telerehabilitation Questionnaire (TRQ). Mean individual TRQ scores for both Veterans and providers were significantly higher than the scale midpoint of 3.5. Veterans had higher scores than providers for five individual items on the TRQ. Higher scores by Veterans on the technology and quality and clarity of the video and audio likely correspond to the differences in environmental settings in which the visit occurred for the Veteran compared with the provider. High satisfaction scores with the telerehabilitation assessments are likely attributed to the positive working relationship between the provider and the rehabilitation technician, who provided in-person technical support to the Veteran in the home during the wheeled mobility evaluation. Overall, the results indicate a high level of Veteran and provider satisfaction using telerehabilitation for wheelchair seating and mobility evaluations.

Telerehabilitation for New Wheelchair Evaluations: A Retrospective Study of Patient Characteristics

“…The use of telerehabilitation for wheelchair evaluations is a relatively new area of study. Previous publications have examined the increasing trend of telerehabilitation services ( von Humboldt et al, 2022 ), the benefits of telerehabilitation services ( Lemaire et al, 2001 ), and satisfaction with telerehabilitation services ( Ott et al, 2020 ). However, a study has not yet analyzed the clinical and demographic characteristics of individuals utilizing telerehabilitation for new wheelchair evaluations.…”

“…Previous studies have suggested an overall high level of satisfaction with AMD evaluations via telerehabilitation ( Ott et al, 2020 ) and similar effectiveness when compared to in-person evaluations ( Schein et al, 2010 ; Bell et al, 2020 ). However, there is a lack of understanding regarding which individual characteristics are conducive to telerehabilitation use for device evaluation.…”

Acceptability of Telerehabilitation for Magnification Devices for the Visually Impaired Using Various Approaches to Facilitate Accessibility

“…Other types of disabilities or chronic conditions that reported high satisfaction with telerehabilitation included Parkinson disease, 20 , 21 chronic heart failure, 22 esophageal cancer, 23 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 24 , 25 neurorehabilitation, 26 speech therapy, 27 dysphagia, 28 obesity, 29 stroke, 30 , 31 and physical therapy following knee or hip replacement 32 – 34 or wheelchair use or mobility. 35 , 36 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2022, several studies have continued to report good patient satisfaction with telerehabilitation for various disabilities. 37 – 40 These studies of telerehabilitation for nonvisual disabilities have shown perceived benefits for ease of attending appointments with decreased travel time, increased patient involvement and self-management, being in a familiar environment, involving family assistance and training, and better adherence to rehabilitation schedules.…”

Reliability of home-based remote and self-assessment of transfers using the Transfer Assessment Instrument among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury

“…Remote assessment of transfer quality can help to continue the provision of health care to wheelchair users when access to in-person care is limited [ 14 , 15 ]. Such barriers to in-person care can include, but are not limited to, difficulties with transportation, living in rural areas, and financial burdens [ 16 , 17 ].…”