Clinical Experiences with Telerehabilitation

PCHI Telehealth Research

We are currently conducting a number of research studies in telehealth.

Physical & Occupational Therapy Students’ and Clinical Preceptors’ Experiences with Using Telerehabilitation

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, telerehabilitation has gone from being an ‘emerging field’ to becoming ‘the new clinical reality’ for many rehabilitation professionals and their clients across Quebec. Many students from McGill University’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy professional Master’s programs (MSc(A)OT and MSc(A)PT) will now be completing their clinical fieldwork courses with varying degrees of exposure to telerehabilitation. There is therefore a need to develop evidence-based resources (educational knowledge translation tools) to support both clinical preceptors and students in adapting their service delivery to include telehealth.

Study Objectives

The aims of this mixed-methods incidence cohort study are threefold:

To evaluate readiness to use telerehabilitation in the delivery of rehabilitation services among students and their clinical preceptors;
To explore students’ experiences around using telerehabilitation during their clinical practice; and
To explore clinical preceptors’ experiences around using telerehabilitation during a clinical practicum.

Principal investigators

Principal investigator: Dr. Sara Ahmed, Associate Professor, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Post-doctoral Fellow: Dr. Zachary Boychuck, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Co-Investigators

Liliane Asseraf-Pasin, PT, PhD, Director PT Program, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Adriana Venturini, PT, PhDc, Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (PT), School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Sara Saunders, OT, PhD, Director OT Program, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Laurie Snider, OT, PhD, Director and Associate Dean, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Caroline Storr, OT, MBA, Associate Professor (Professional) & Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (OT), School of Physical & Occupational Therapy; Dialogue McGill – Director Education Programs, McGill University

Aliki Thomas, OT, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy; Associate Member, Institute of Health Sciences Education, McGill University

Collaborators:

Karen Falcicchio, OT, Associate Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (OT), School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Martha Visintin, Associate Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (PT), School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, McGill University

Funding

Fonds de soutien à l’innovation en santé et en services sociaux (FSISSS-2-2-43), CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’ile-de-Montréal & Réseau de recherché en santé des populations du Québec