Abstract
To explore patients' perceptions regarding prospective telerehabilitation services and the factors that facilitate or impede patients' intentions to use these services. Using semi-structured interviews, patients reflected on the pros and cons of various scenarios of prospective telerehabilitation services. Patients' arguments were first arranged according to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Next, using inductive analysis, the data for each UTAUT component were analysed and arranged into subthemes. Twenty-five chronic pain patients were selected from a rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands. Overall, participants considered telerehabilitation helpful as a complementary or follow-up treatment, rather than an autonomous treatment. Arguments mainly related to the UTAUT constructs of 'performance expectancy' and 'facilitating conditions'. Patients valued the benefits such as reduced transportation barriers, flexible exercise hours and the possibility to better integrate skills into daily life. However, many patients feared a loss of treatment motivation and expressed concerns about both reduced fellow sufferer contact and reduced face-to-face therapist contact. Few arguments related to 'social norms' and 'effort expectancy'. The effect of telerehabilitation on healthcare strongly depends on patients' willingness to use. Our study showed that chronic pain patients valued the benefits of telerehabilitation but hesitate to use it as an autonomous treatment. Therefore, future initiatives should maintain traditional care to some degree and focus on patients' attitudes as well. Either by giving information to increase patients' confidence in telerehabilitation or by addressing reported drawbacks into the future design of these services. Further quantitative studies are needed to explore patients' intentions to use telerehabilitation.
Highlights
Chronic pain is a common condition that occurs in at least 19% of adult Europeans, and varies from moderate to severe intensity.[1]
Our study showed that chronic pain patients valued the benefits of telerehabilitation but hesitate to use it as an autonomous treatment
It is acknowledged that physical exercises should be part of chronic pain treatment
Summary
Chronic pain is a common condition that occurs in at least 19% of adult Europeans, and varies from moderate to severe intensity.[1] As well as having personal consequences, chronic pain puts pressure on society as it affects direct healthcare costs as well as indirect costs such as social compensation, pensions and a loss of productivity.[2,3,4]. It is acknowledged that physical exercises should be part of chronic pain treatment. Therapeutic exercises prove beneficial for chronic pain patients as they reduce pain and disability.[5,6,7,8,9] Despite the benefits, adherence to the exercise programs is often suboptimal. It is important to look for alternative models of health service delivery that could better meet patientsÕ preferences and, in so doing, enhance exercise treatment compliance
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