Effect of COVID-19 on Aquatic Physical Therapy Practice: What Have We Learned?

Abstract

Background: Since the spring of 2020, the nation and international community have struggled with the task of being and remaining healthy, a task that before the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induced pandemic and global Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, many of us took for granted. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has changed the face of health care, with many physical therapy clinics still using telehealth or virtual examinations that use a variety of online platforms. This could not be done with aquatic physical therapy (APT) intervention. APT is one area of health care where virtual reality was not a reality at all. The purpose of this survey was to assess the effect that the pandemic has had on APT in the United States from March 2020 to February 2022: what changed in APT during the pandemic and to what extent, what changes remain at present, what has worked well, what did not work at all, and what information would help aquatic physical therapists (APTs) and aquatic physical therapist assistants (APTAs) in the future. Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to all APTs and APTAs registered with the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, with 45 respondents. Results: All 45 respondents had to stop working for a minimum of 2 weeks during the US-mandated quarantine. Only 11 of the 45 respondents were able to return to work in the aquatic setting over the ensuing months and some were laid off. It was not until March 2021 that most of these individuals (N = 35) were able to resume aquatic interventions with their patients. By February 2022, 7 of the respondents were still unable to provide APT intervention at their clinical sites. Conclusion: Only 20% of the 45 respondents reported satisfaction with the way things were handled at their clinical sites. Knowledge regarding preventing the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic and the preventive measures required in an APT setting was obtained. Cessation of patient care, along with therapist layoffs, reveals a strong need for education in the field of APT for structured protocols that provide a safe means of continued aquatic intervention and provide confidence for aquatic physical therapists to safely continue APT with their patients.