Telehealth Physical Therapy for Sports Medicine Rehabilitation: What Is Its Role in the Postpandemic Era?

Abstract

Background: The adoption of telehealth visits for physical therapy (PT) has accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient reception of virtual PT at the outbreak of the pandemic was positive, but it is unclear how telehealth visits compare to in-person visits in the postpandemic era. Purpose: To evaluate utilization trends and patient satisfaction with virtual PT compared with in-person PT during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: We identified 59,461 in-person and 2016 telehealth visits at a single physical rehabilitation center between March 2020 and December 2021. Patient socioeconomic and demographic variables, including insurance status, were compared between telehealth users and in-person visitors. A total of 1012 patient satisfaction surveys were available and analyzed using the top-box method. Univariable statistics (t test or Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests) were used for group comparisons. Results: Overall, telehealth users when compared with in-person visitors were older (median age, 47 vs 42 years, respectively; P