USE OF TELEREHABILITATION

Background: The adoption of telerehabilitation is increasingly recognized as a vital component of modern physiotherapy, yet its application for physical modalities remains underexplored, particularly in low-resource settings like Nigeria. Understanding the perspectives of physiotherapists is crucial for the successful integration of this technology into patient care. Aim: This study aimed to examine the perspectives of physiotherapists in the South-South region of Nigeria on the use of telerehabilitation for physical modalities. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 80 licensed physiotherapists (56 males, 24 females) practicing in South-South Nigeria. An online, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic, perspectives on telerehabilitation, perceived strengths and barriers, and the use and administration of physical modalities in telerehabilitation. Data was summarized using descriptive statistics. Chi-square test was used to determine associations between sociodemographic variables and respondents’ perspectives. Alpha level was set at p<0.05. Results: The respondents were predominantly male (70.0%), young (38.8% aged 23–30 years), and had less than five years of experience (38.8%). Most of them held positive perceptions, believing telerehabilitation improves patient care (92.5%). Key strengths identified were flexible timetables (70.0%) and easy access (67.5%). However, significant barriers were noted for pediatric and mentally handicapped populations (97.5%). The use of physical modalities showed a high use of self-administered modalities like cold packs (75.0%) and TENS (57.5%), and very limited use of equipment-dependent modalities like mechanical traction (3.8%). Significant associations were found between perspectives and age (p=0.030), gender (p=0.007), years of experience (p=0.020), level of education (p=0.002), and area of specialization (p=0.003). Conclusion: Physiotherapists in South-South Nigeria hold positive perceptions on using telerehabilitation for physical modalities. While they recognize its potential to improve access, significant ethical concerns exist. Targeted training and the development of national guidelines are recommended to support its broader implementation