TY - JOUR
T1 - "We are so close; yet too far"
T2 - perceived barriers to smartphone-based telerehabilitation among healthcare providers and patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in India
AU - Bairapareddy, Kalyana Chakravarthy
AU - Alaparthi, Gopala Krishna
AU - Jitendra, Romika Sawant
AU - Prathiksha,
AU - Rao, Priyanka Prasad
AU - Shetty, Vanitha
AU - Chandrasekaran, Baskaran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Background: Telerehabilitation is imperative and impending in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. However, its feasibility in low- and middle-income nations such as India remained unclear. Objective: To assess the feasibility of administering a smartphone-based telerehabilitation program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in India. Material and method: An online cross-sectional survey was administered to stakeholders of the telerehabilitation program: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, health care professionals including pulmonary care physicians, rehabilitation nurses and physiotherapists. The survey sought to ascertain the causes, barriers, and facilitators associated with the implementation of smartphone-based telerehabilitation, as well as strategies for practice improvement. Results: While 71% (n = 37/52) of the 52 healthcare professionals surveyed were aware of smartphone-based telerehabilitation, implementation was found to be extremely low (n = 4/37; 10%). The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 21/30; 70%) agreed to accept smartphone-based telerehabilitation as one of their treatment options. In India, challenges to efficient telerehabilitation implementation included a lack of infrastructure, perceived time consumption, a lack of expertise and training, organizational support, and perceived inefficacy. Conclusion: While knowledge of smartphone-based telerehabilitation is high among healthcare professionals and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, implementation of this novel intervention measure has been limited due to perceived constraints associated with smartphone-based telerehabilitation. Adapting national and organizational policies to support smartphone-based telerehabilitation services is critical during this decade of social isolation.
AB - Background: Telerehabilitation is imperative and impending in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. However, its feasibility in low- and middle-income nations such as India remained unclear. Objective: To assess the feasibility of administering a smartphone-based telerehabilitation program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in India. Material and method: An online cross-sectional survey was administered to stakeholders of the telerehabilitation program: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, health care professionals including pulmonary care physicians, rehabilitation nurses and physiotherapists. The survey sought to ascertain the causes, barriers, and facilitators associated with the implementation of smartphone-based telerehabilitation, as well as strategies for practice improvement. Results: While 71% (n = 37/52) of the 52 healthcare professionals surveyed were aware of smartphone-based telerehabilitation, implementation was found to be extremely low (n = 4/37; 10%). The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 21/30; 70%) agreed to accept smartphone-based telerehabilitation as one of their treatment options. In India, challenges to efficient telerehabilitation implementation included a lack of infrastructure, perceived time consumption, a lack of expertise and training, organizational support, and perceived inefficacy. Conclusion: While knowledge of smartphone-based telerehabilitation is high among healthcare professionals and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, implementation of this novel intervention measure has been limited due to perceived constraints associated with smartphone-based telerehabilitation. Adapting national and organizational policies to support smartphone-based telerehabilitation services is critical during this decade of social isolation.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07857
DO - 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07857
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85118580913
SN - 2405-8440
VL - 7
JO - Heliyon
JF - Heliyon
IS - 8
M1 - e07857
ER -