Assessing Readiness for Integrated Telerehabilitation Care: A Comparative Study in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain

Introduction: The integration of digital health solutions in rehabilitation care holds promise for equitable healthcare, particularly in rural areas. This study assesses the readiness of health and care systems in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain for integrated telerehabilitation care, conducted through a comprehensive survey between April and June 2021. Target Audience: The ROSIA project provides insights for policymakers, professionals, and academics interested in understanding the maturity of health and care systems in adopting integrated telerehabilitation care. Stakeholder Involvement:Stakeholders included micro-level representatives (patient associations, care team representatives, and rehabilitation representatives), meso-level stakeholders (professionals, healthcare administrators, ICT managers), and macro-level participants (Payers, Policy Makers, Public Health, and Social Care authorities). Intervention: Utilizing the SCIROCCO Self-Assessment Tool for Integrated Care and adaptations from Telehealth Capacity and Telehealth Readiness Assessment Tools, the ROSIA consortium conducted a comprehensive evaluation of maturity levels. Results: The SCIROCCO tool revealed overall poor readiness for innovative telerehabilitation services across the three countries. Despite this, nuanced readiness levels were identified among Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, insights from Telehealth Capacity and Readiness Assessment Tools provided detailed information. Lessons Learned: The assessment of readiness for adopting innovative digital solutions in health and care systems offers a novel approach, providing invaluable information on each system's capacity before adopting any solution. Next Steps: The ROSIA results serve as a foundation for future interventions and improvements, facilitating a targeted approach to enhance telerehabilitation readiness across healthcare systems.