{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T21:07:20Z","timestamp":1790024840167,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Form Res"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Teletherapy is gaining increasing importance in physiotherapeutic care but has so far been only marginally established in Germany. The current state of use, attitudes, and perceived barriers among physiotherapists remains insufficiently described.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This online survey aimed to assess perceived barriers, enabling factors, and competence-related needs for the implementation and use of physiotherapeutic teletherapy among participating physiotherapists in Germany.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted among practicing physiotherapists in Germany using the LimeSurvey platform between March 7 and May 21, 2025. Participants were recruited through an open convenience sampling strategy via physiotherapy-related social media channels, university alumni mailing lists, the mailing list of the German Association for Musculoskeletal Therapy, and an article on physio.de; all individuals with access to the survey link were able to participate. The questionnaire collected demographic and professional data as well as information on current and intended use of teletherapy, perceived barriers and benefits, training needs, and self-assessed competence to deliver teletherapy. Data were analyzed descriptively.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n A total of 761 individuals started the survey, of whom 458 completed the questionnaire in full and were included in the analysis. In this sample, 30 participants reported prior experience with teletherapy. Most participants considered teletherapy meaningful for future physiotherapy care, but only a minority felt sufficiently informed about its use. Frequently reported barriers included integration into daily practice routines, insufficient information on legal and organizational frameworks, and insufficient digital infrastructure within practices. Participants most frequently identified further training, exchange and support from colleagues, and information from professional associations and health insurance providers as potential facilitators. Exploratory descriptive stratified analyses suggested that participants with prior teletherapy experience more often felt sufficiently informed and competent and reported selected implementation barriers less frequently than participants without prior experience.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n In this sample, physiotherapeutic teletherapy was rarely used but was widely perceived as meaningful for future care. Participants reported structural, organizational, informational, and competence-related barriers that may limit routine implementation. These findings suggest that clearer guidance, targeted training, and implementation support from professional associations, health insurance providers, and educational institutions may help physiotherapists integrate teletherapy into practice where clinically appropriate.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/93733","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T20:41:46Z","timestamp":1790023306000},"page":"e93733-e93733","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Use and Perceptions of Teletherapy Among Physiotherapists in Germany: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Online Survey"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-7761-8412","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tobias","family":"Michels","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8692-0136","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christoff","family":"Zalpour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2519-5030","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bernhard","family":"Elsner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1","unstructured":"Health in Germany: Federal Health Reporting. Robert Koch Institute; 2015. URL: https:\/\/www.rki.de\/DE\/Themen\/Gesundheit-und-Gesellschaft\/Gesundheitsberichterstattung\/Berichte\/Gesundheit-in-Deutschland\/gesundheit_in_deutschland_2015.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 [Accessed 16-01-2026] [doi: 10.17886\/rkipubl-2015-003]"},{"key":"R2","unstructured":"Herzer P Kunath G . Skilled labor shortages weigh on key economic sectors. KOFA Kompakt; 2024."},{"key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/46715","article-title":"Barriers to video call-based telehealth in allied health professions and nursing: scoping review and mapping process","volume":"25","author":"Rettinger","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"R4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-026-14636-6","article-title":"Barriers and facilitators to telerehabilitation implementation: a mixed-methods study of German physiotherapists","volume":"26","author":"Stahn","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"R5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1055\/a-1537-8933","article-title":"The COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity for teletherapy? - A survey of non-medical therapy professionals in the health sector [Article in German]","volume":"84","author":"Richter","journal-title":"Gesundheitswesen"},{"issue":"4","key":"R6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1007\/s00391-021-01899-3","article-title":"Feasibility and acceptance of video-based physiotherapy: new medical care provision for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"54","author":"Happe","journal-title":"Z Gerontol Geriatr"},{"key":"R7","unstructured":"Hambloch P Peine J Schlenz P Soldanski C . Key Data on the Situation of German Physical Therapy Facilities. 2nd ed. ETL ADVISION; 2024."},{"key":"R8","unstructured":"Federal Ministry of Health. Act to Accelerate the Digitalisation of the Healthcare System (Digital Act \u2013 DigiG). Federal Law Gazette; 2024."},{"key":"R9","unstructured":"Federal Ministry of Health. Act to Improve the Use of Health Data (Health Data Use Act\u2014GDNG). Federal Law Gazette; 2024."},{"key":"R10","unstructured":"Application for flat-rate payments for telemedicine services is delayed. Physio Deutschland. 2024. URL: https:\/\/www.physio-deutschland.de\/fachkreise\/news-bundesweit\/einzelansicht\/artikel\/beantragung-der-pauschalen-fuer-telemedizinische-leistungen-verzoegert-sich.html [Accessed 09-09-2026]"},{"key":"R11","unstructured":"German Bundestag postpones deadline for telematics infrastructure (TI) connection for healthcare providers. IFK \u2013 Institute for Social Media Communication. 2025. URL: https:\/\/ifk.de\/artikel\/bundestag-verschiebt-ti-anbindungsfrist-fuer-heilmittelerbringer [Accessed 09-09-2026]"},{"key":"R12","unstructured":"Electronic patient record (ePA) for everyone. Federal Ministry of Health. URL: https:\/\/www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de\/themen\/digitalisierung\/elektronische-patientenakte\/epa-fuer-alle.html [Accessed 10-01-2025]"},{"key":"R13","unstructured":"Numbers, data, and facts about physical therapy. Physio Deutschland. URL: https:\/\/www.physio-deutschland.de\/fileadmin\/data\/bund\/Dateien_oeffentlich\/Beruf_und_Bildung\/Zahlen__Daten__Fakten\/Zahlen-Daten-Fakten.pdf [Accessed 10-01-2025]"},{"issue":"3","key":"R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/jmir.6.3.e34","article-title":"Improving the quality of web surveys: the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES)","volume":"6","author":"Eysenbach","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1206960","article-title":"Mastery of teletherapy is related to better therapeutic relationship and presence in teletherapy: the development of the teletherapy intervention scale","volume":"14","author":"B\u00e9k\u00e9s","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"issue":"6","key":"R16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1713","DOI":"10.1089\/tmj.2023.0472","article-title":"Development and validation of telehealth competency questionnaire-provider","volume":"30","author":"Taylor","journal-title":"Telemed J E Health"},{"key":"R17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/49868","article-title":"Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of digital health services for people with musculoskeletal conditions in the primary health care setting: systematic review","volume":"26","author":"van Tilburg","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"R18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msksp.2021.102340","article-title":"\u201cIt\u2019s not hands-on therapy, so it\u2019s very limited\u201d: telehealth use and views among allied health clinicians during the coronavirus pandemic","volume":"52","author":"Malliaras","journal-title":"Musculoskelet Sci Pract"},{"key":"R19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/54116","article-title":"Usage, attitudes, facilitators, and barriers toward digital health technologies in musculoskeletal care: survey among primary care physiotherapists in Norway","volume":"11","author":"Martinsen","journal-title":"JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol"},{"issue":"5","key":"R20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"625","DOI":"10.1177\/0269215516645148","article-title":"Real-time telerehabilitation for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions is effective and comparable to standard practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"31","author":"Cottrell","journal-title":"Clin Rehabil"},{"key":"R21","unstructured":"Digital practice in physiotherapy: global report. 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