title: Pre-admission orthopaedic occupational therapy home visits conducted using the Internet.
abstract: We evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of conducting occupational therapy home visits using the Internet. Studies were conducted at the homes of 40 patients who were scheduled to undergo a total hip or knee replacement: home visits were conducted, on the same day, by both a face-to-face therapist and an online therapist. The online therapist conducted the visit via a low-speed, dial-up Internet connection using a specially developed telerehabilitation system. This system combines real-time videoconferencing (320 x 240 pixel resolution) with a suite of calibrated assessment tools which the operator can use to measure real-scale angular displacement/velocity and linear distances during the videoconference. Both therapists completed a home environment questionnaire, assessed patients' transfer ability and measured the heights of six objects/pieces of furniture. For the questionnaire items which related to variables in the home environment, the mean percentage exact agreement was 98.9% (SD 2.6; range 90-100), while there was 100% agreement on the items related to transfers. The mean absolute difference in measured heights between the two therapists ranged from 0.1-3.3 cm. The results suggest that conducting pre-admission orthopaedic occupational therapy home visits via the Internet is both feasible and accurate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. t.hoffmann@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome