SHBC1058

B.K.FANG¹, J.J.JIANG², J.K.S.LOH¹

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital¹, Yishun Community Hospital² 

A service gap emerged when in-person rehabilitation services were closed or kept to a minimum during the Circuit Breaker (CB) period in Singapore. Telerehabilitation (TR) was seen as an ideal alternative to overcome this service gap. However, TR acceptability among patients in Singapore remains unclear as it is an unfamiliar mode of interaction for most patients. We aim to retrospectively (i) review the uptake rate of TR amongst patients, in the period of the CB,and (ii) explore their perceived barriers and facilitators of the service.

A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted among eligible patients who were offered TR at Yishun Health Campus (YH). Research data was extracted from medical records. Additionally, an anonymous patient satisfaction survey was conducted among the successfully enrolled patients, and the feedback was extracted from the form.gov.sg server.

24.2% of the 314 eligible patients successfully enrolled into TR. Preference for in-person sessions was the top reason cited for declining the service. 32.8% of the successfully enrolled patients responded to the patient satisfaction survey. They were satisfied with the service as it facilitated continuation of rehabilitation, provided access to a therapist and facilitated opportunities for clarifications about their conditions or prescribed exercises to be made.

Low uptake of TR services among patients at YH was demonstrated during the CB period. A multipronged effort would be required to increase acceptance towards this mode of care, especially in times when physical access to healthcare may be restricted.