Barreiras e facilitadores da telerreabilitação na perspectiva dos pacientes atendidos na clínica escola de fisioterapia da FACISA/UFRN: um estudo observacional

Abstract

Telerehabilitation (TR) was implemented in Brazil in 2020 with the purpose of continuing physiotherapeutic care during the pandemic. Investigating barriers and facilitators of TR can enhance service quality and facilitate access to healthcare. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to identify potential barriers and facilitators of TR based on the perceptions of patients from the Physiotherapy School Clinic (CEF) at FACISA/UFRN. The study included patients aged 18 years or older who scored above 20 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Data collection involved administering questionnaires regarding sociodemographic profiles, acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of TR. A total of 63 participants were included, with a mean age of 51.73±12.21 years; only 17.46% had experience with TR, while 69.8% considered TR to be expensive, and 52.4% would not pay for this modality, representing the main identified barriers. However, 71.4% expressed willingness to participate in the program. Moreover, a significant portion of participants possessed conditions favorable to the implementation of TR, such as access to technology, digital literacy, an appropriate environment, and self-management capabilities to perform exercises without professional supervision (76.2%) or assistance (81%). Therefore, these findings suggest that despite the identified barriers, the facilitators outweigh the perceived difficulties, indicating that TR can be effectively implemented and successful among patients served by CEF/FACISA, thereby providing broader access to healthcare services and reducing the need for travel.