IMPACT OF TELEHEALTH INTERVENTIONS IN PROVIDING REHABILITATION SERVICES TO PATIENTS WITH MOBILITY OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN RURAL OR UNDERSERVED AREAS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61919/jhrr.v2i1.17Keywords:
Telehealth, rehabilitation, mobility, strength, functional independence, pain, quality of life, rural, underservedAbstract
Background:
Telehealth interventions have gained popularity in recent years as a means of providing healthcare services to individuals with disabilities in rural or underserved areas. The impact of telehealth interventions on rehabilitation outcomes, however, remains largely unknown.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the impact of telehealth interventions on rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with mobility or physical disabilities in rural or underserved areas.
Methodology:
The study was a prospective, observational cohort study conducted at Clinical setting in Rural areas of Lahore including Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Teaching and Research Hospital, Avicenna Hospital and University Teaching Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 76 participants were randomly assigned to either the telehealth rehabilitation group or the in-person rehabilitation group. The primary outcome measure was the impact of telehealth interventions on rehabilitation outcomes including mobility, strength, functional independence, pain, and quality of life.
Results:
The study results showed that telehealth rehabilitation and conventional rehabilitation had similar mean values for the "Current Rating of Mobility," "Current Rating of Strength," and "Current Rating of Functional Independence" with p-values of 0.067, 0.164, and 0.239 respectively, indicating no statistically significant difference between the two groups. However, the "Current Rating of Pain" outcome measure had a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a higher mean value in the conventional rehabilitation group (p-value of 0.019). The mean value for "Current Rating of Quality of Life" was not statistically significantly different between the two groups (p-value of 0.165).
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that telehealth interventions can provide similar rehabilitation outcomes to conventional rehabilitation for individuals with mobility or physical disabilities in rural or underserved areas. Telehealth rehabilitation may serve as a suitable alternative for individuals who cannot visit a clinic due to their disability or other barriers.
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