Training And Competency Frameworks for Physiotherapy Telepractice: Consensus and Validation

Abstract

The recent trend of digital technologies, automation, and remote monitoring has developed physiotherapy telepractice and has generated a demand to establish clear training and competency models. This review integrates human and preclinical information to review the development, consensus and validation of competencies needed to support successful physiotherapy telepractice. In rodent, rabbit, and canine models, remotely administered, technology-based rehabilitation has been shown to produce repeatable and predictable recoveries in cases of interventions being standardized and monitored objectively. Key competency areas that have been identified are technical and technological expertise, protocol development and standardization, objective observation and data analysis and ethical and safety management. These competencies are validated in terms of definite links between the decisions made by practitioners and quantifiable biomechanical, functional, and biological recovery results. Even though human models offer good internal validity, the drawbacks associated with their ecological irrelevance and differences between species require translation with care. All in all, the evidence of humans can provide a solid preclinical base of evidence-based and consensus-based training and competency models of physiotherapy telepractice.