Abstracts Education

Telerehabilitation in Patients with Knee Injuries: Experiences and Opinions from Active Gym Members

by Mallori K Crockett

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore individuals' experiences with and opinions of the use of telerehabilitation for knee pain. This study provides evidence of the impact telerehabilitation will have on engagement and satisfaction for active individuals suffering from a knee injury. Icek Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provided the theoretical framework for this study. TPB is a psychological theory that was developed from the limitations of the Theory of Reasoned Action's (TRA) in dealing with behaviors where individuals had incomplete control. TPB is comprised of three core concepts that are intended to shape the behavioral intentions of an individual. The core components of TPB are attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1991; Kan & Fabrigar, 2017). Qualitative data were collected from participants through one-on-one interviews using the Zoom Teleconferencing platform. The data were analyzed using a holistic approach, in-vivo method, and content comparison. Analyzed data in the NVivo software revealed commonalities among responses from participants about perceptions of barriers and facilitators when using telerehabilitation. Data analysis resulted in nine themes: Accessibility, Clinician-Patient Interaction, Convenience, Education/Understanding of Telerehabilitation Services, Effectiveness of Care, Exercise Variability, Financial Benefits, Patient Satisfaction, and Technology. Despite all participants being willing to use telerehabilitation, there were some concerns about clinician-patient interaction, education/understanding of telerehabilitation services, exercise variability and technology affecting the overall experience, demonstrating a lack of understanding in each instance where there was concern. The overall opinions and experiences of gym members and the friends, family members, and associates of gym members indicated that convenience, accessibility, effectiveness of care, financial benefits, and patient satisfaction were important in the decision to engage in use, continue use, or suggest to others the use of telerehabilitation especially for the use of knee pain. Participants provided feedback and indicated that convenience was one of the most important, if not the most important component, in their engagement of telerehabilitation, with patient satisfaction running a close second.