Telerehabilitation and Smartphone Apps in Physiotherapy

Original Editor - Oriana Catenazzi, Alicia Rebellato, Hannah Meredith, Aaron Kirk, Martin Fitheridge, Marco Zavagni

     

Introduction to Telerehabilitation and smartphone physiotherapy applications

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Learning Outcomes

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Table of Contents 

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Overview of Telerehabilitation

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Understanding the patient

Introduction

Over the last decade the development and use of telehealth interventions for changing patient behaviours has greatly increased (Riley et al.2011). The use of mobile applications must take in account the physical and socio-psychological needs of health practitioners and patients. The user approaching a device, is not purely interested in what the device does, but rather how the device makes them feel: the developer must remember that the application is developed focusing on the customer and is designed to satisfy all their needs (Ruiz et al., 2012). The ability to access extensive and multifaceted programs provides health care professionals with the opportunity deliver behavioural change interventions that can be adapted to meet the patient’s characteristics, behaviours and environment (Patrick et al. 2008). In order to analyse the effectiveness of these interventions, health behaviour theories and models are used to guide the development and delivery of the intervention (Riley et al. 2011). Bandura’s Transtheoretical Model (bandura, 1982) and Self-Determination Theory (Prochaska and Velicer, 1999) have served as the basis for many health care interventions and it is important that the physiotherapist understands the underlying principles behind these theories. The use of health behaviour models and theories will assist the health care professional at the initiation stage of the intervention to meet their baseline characteristics of the patient and also during the intervention when behaviour change is taking place. To understand our patient fully it is necessary to examine their motivation, efficacy, and goals, then apply a theoretical model to our intervention.

Further considerations: Facilitating behaviour change

Limitations

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Conclusing Remarks 

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CPD Test your knowledge 

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References

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