Are Clinical Physiotherapy students in Nigeria aware and knowledgeable about Tele-physiotherapy?
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Abstract
The uptake of telehealth into physiotherapy practice in Nigeria can be enhanced when potential graduate physiotherapists are knowledgeable and have positive perception towards its utilization. This study was designed to investigate clinical physiotherapy students’ awareness, knowledge and perception of tele-physiotherapy. Participants were selected from the oldest and bestrated training institution in Nigeria (University of Ibadan) through a sampling technique of convenience into this cross-sectional
population-based survey. Data on awareness, knowledge and perception of students about tele-physiotherapy was collected using an existing structured, self-administered validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test at α = 0.05. Results: Participants (37females; 24males) constituted 90% of the total student population and were aged 21.36 ±1.54 years. Thirty-nine participants were aware of the term tele-physiotherapy and their source of information was majorly (56.4%) from web
journals. More than half of the participants reported negative perception of tele-physiotherapy. Twenty four participants reported good knowledge while fifteen reported poor knowledge of tele-physiotherapy. Male and female students were comparable in their awareness (p=0.53), perception (p=0.37) and knowledge (p=0.33) of tele-physiotherapy. Level of study was not associated with participants’ awareness (p=0.78), perception (p=0.29) and knowledge (p=0.43) of tele-physiotherapy. Significant association exists between participants’ perception and awareness (p=0.02) and no significant association between perception and knowledge (p=0.18) of tele-physiotherapy.Clinical physiotherapy students from University of Ibadan are fairly knowledgeable about tele-physiotherapy and more than half of them appear to have negative perception of the integration of information and communication technology into the Nigerian physiotherapy clinical practice.
population-based survey. Data on awareness, knowledge and perception of students about tele-physiotherapy was collected using an existing structured, self-administered validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test at α = 0.05. Results: Participants (37females; 24males) constituted 90% of the total student population and were aged 21.36 ±1.54 years. Thirty-nine participants were aware of the term tele-physiotherapy and their source of information was majorly (56.4%) from web
journals. More than half of the participants reported negative perception of tele-physiotherapy. Twenty four participants reported good knowledge while fifteen reported poor knowledge of tele-physiotherapy. Male and female students were comparable in their awareness (p=0.53), perception (p=0.37) and knowledge (p=0.33) of tele-physiotherapy. Level of study was not associated with participants’ awareness (p=0.78), perception (p=0.29) and knowledge (p=0.43) of tele-physiotherapy. Significant association exists between participants’ perception and awareness (p=0.02) and no significant association between perception and knowledge (p=0.18) of tele-physiotherapy.Clinical physiotherapy students from University of Ibadan are fairly knowledgeable about tele-physiotherapy and more than half of them appear to have negative perception of the integration of information and communication technology into the Nigerian physiotherapy clinical practice.
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