Evaluating Efficiency of a Provincial Telerehabilitation Service in Improving Access to Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

  • Katelyn Brehon Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Jay Carriere Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Katie Churchill Allied Health Professional Practice and Education, Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada; Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Elizabeth Papathanassoglou Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, and Vision Strategic Clinical Network (TM), Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Rob MacIsaac Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Mahdi Tavakoli Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  • Chester Ho Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, and Vision Strategic Clinical Network (TM), Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada
  • Kiran Pohar Manhas Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, and Vision Strategic Clinical Network (TM), Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2023.6523

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, call utilization, machine learning, qualitative description

Abstract

Scope: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, community rehabilitation stakeholders from a provincial health system designed a novel telerehabilitation service. The service provided wayfinding and self-management advice to individuals with musculoskeletal concerns, neurological conditions, or post-COVID-19 recovery needs. This study evaluated the efficiency of the service in improving access to care.

Methodology: We used multiple methods including secondary data analyses of call metrics, narrative analyses of clinical notes using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and qualitative interviews.                                                                       

Conclusions: Interviews revealed that the telerehabilitation service had the potential to positively impact access to rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, for individuals living rurally, and for individuals on wait lists. Call metric analyses revealed that efficiency may be enhanced if call handling time was reduced. AI/ML analyses found that pain was the most frequently-mentioned keyword in clinical notes, suggesting an area for additional telerehabilitation resources to ensure efficiency.

  

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Published

2023-05-11

How to Cite

Brehon, K., Carriere, J., Churchill, K., Loyola-Sanchez, A., Papathanassoglou, E., MacIsaac, R., Tavakoli, M., Ho, C., & Pohar Manhas, K. (2023). Evaluating Efficiency of a Provincial Telerehabilitation Service in Improving Access to Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2023.6523

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Clinical Practice - COVID 19

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Copyright (c) 2023 Katelyn Brehon, Jay Carriere, Katie Churchill, Adalberto Loyola-Sanchez, Elizabeth Papathanassoglou, Rob MacIsaac, Mahdi Tavakoli, Chester Ho, Kiran Pohar Manhas

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