A comparison of in-home vs. telerehabilitation
A randomized clinical trial was undertaken to examine the effect of a multi-factorial, individualized, physical/occupational therapy intervention on mobility self-efficacy delivered via teletechnology and traditional in-home visits. Sixty-five community-dwelling adults with new mobility devices were randomized to either the control or usual care group (n=33); or the intervention group (n=32). The intervention included four, one-hour PT/OT sessions, one time per week targeting 3 mobility and 3 transfer tasks. The intervention group (Tele and Trad) had a statistically significant increase in overall self-efficacy over the study period compared to the controls (UCG). Moreover, comparisons of the two treatment delivery methods showed a medium standardized effect size (SES) in both the Tele and Trad Groups compared to UCG, suggesting that a multifactorial, individualized, home-based PT/OT intervention delivered either by teleconference or by traditional in-home therapy can improve self-efficacy in mobility-impaired adults. © 2008 The authors. All rights reserved.
