Telerehabilitation: an Updated View of Practices, Cost Analysis, and Client Perceptions

Abstract

Telerehabilitation is an alternative and complementary rehabilitation method in which information and communication technologies are used to remove the distance between healthcare professionals and clients. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the rapid adoption of telerehabilitation services, limiting the in-person rehabilitation services available all over the world. The restrictions that started with the COVID-19 pandemic also negatively affected rehabilitation services, clients, and healthcare professionals, so at the time, it was considered essential to provide services using telerehabilitation technology. Therefore, this review aimed to examine and inform health professionals' telerehabilitation practices such as remote assessment, evaluation, intervention, monitoring, supervision, education, and follow-up during the pandemic, in addition to present the practice areas, advantages, disadvantages, perceptions, and cost analysis results of telerehabilitation practices to healthcare professionals, considering the standards the American Telemedicine Association set.