Physiotherapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mediated model of physiotherapists’ self-efficacy, tele-physiotherapy role stressors, and motivation to provide tele-physiotherapy

ABSTRACT

Background

Occupational self-efficacy is a stable predictor for professionals’ motivation to engage with new methods and tasks. Yet, the delivery of tele-physiotherapy (Tele-PT) by physiotherapists (PTs) during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak without advance training may have had the potential to increase work stress and damage their motivation, regardless of their occupational self-efficacy.

Objectives

The present study examined whether the relations between PTs’ overall occupational self-efficacy and motivation to provide Tele-PT was mediated by role stress (i.e. role conflict and ambiguity).

Design and Method

Between February 4 and April 23, 2021, 150 Israeli PTs completed an online survey that measured their overall occupational self-efficacy, their role stress induced by the provision of Tele-PT, their motivation to provide Tele-PT, and their demographic characteristics.

Results

PTs’ overall occupational self-efficacy was positively associated with PTs’ motivation to provide Tele-PT (r= 0.328, p < .01) and fully mediated by role conflict (0.1757, 95% CI = [0.0231, 0.3797]) and by role ambiguity (0.1845, 95% CI = [0.0196, 0.4184]) (components of role stress) caused by the provision of Tele-PT.

Conclusions

It is important to investigate the predictors and mediators of the motivation to provide Tele-PT because in the post-COVID-19 era health organizations are likely to adopt many tele-medicine services, and they need to find ways to mitigate perceived challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• Tele-medicine
• COVID-19
• role-stressors
• motivation
• physiotherapy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.