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Introduction: In‐person physiotherapy services are not readily available to all individuals with musculoskeletal conditions, especially those in rural regions or with time‐intensive responsibilities. The COVID‐19 pandemic highlighted that telehealth may facilitate access to, and continuity of care, yet many physiotherapists lack telehealth confidence and training. This project co‐developed and evaluated a web‐based professional development toolkit supporting physiotherapists to provide telehealth services for musculoskeletal conditions. Methods: A mixed‐methods exploratory sequential design applied modified experience‐based co‐design methods (physiotherapists [n = 13], clinic administrators [n = 2], and people with musculoskeletal conditions [n = 7]) to develop an evidence‐informed toolkit. Semi‐structured workshops were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed, refining the toolkit prototype. Subsequently, the toolkit was promoted via webinars and social media. The usability of the toolkit was examined with pre‐post surveys examining changes in confidence, knowledge, and perceived telehealth competence (19 statements modelled from the theoretical domains framework) between toolkit users (>30 min) and non‐users (0 min) using chi‐squared tests for independence. Website analytics were summarised. Results: Twenty‐two participants engaged in co‐design workshops. Feedback led to the inclusion of more patient‐facing resources, increased assessment‐related visual content, streamlined toolkit organisation, and simplified, downloadable infographics. Three hundred and twenty‐nine physiotherapists from 21 countries completed the baseline survey, with 172 (52%) completing the 3‐month survey. Toolkit users had greater improvement in knowledge, confidence, and competence than non‐users in 42% of statements. Seventy‐two percentage of toolkit users said it changed their practice, and 95% would recommend the toolkit to colleagues. During the evaluation period, the toolkit received 5486 total views. Discussion: The co‐designed web‐based Musculoskeletal Telehealth Toolkit is a professional development resource that may increase physiotherapist's confidence, knowledge, and competence in telehealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For older adults with osteoporosis, a fall resulting in hip fracture is a life‐changing event from which only one‐third fully recover. Current best evidence argues strongly for elderly patients to bear weight on their repaired hip fracture immediately after their surgery to maximize their chances of full or nearly full recovery. Patient stakeholders in Canada have argued that some surgeons fail to issue “weight‐bearing‐as‐tolerated” (WBAT) orders in all eligible cases, protecting their bony repair but contributing to increased mortality and long‐term disability rates. In collaboration with a national stakeholder organization, Bone and Joint Canada, we interviewed 20 orthopedic surgeons across Canada who perform hip fracture repair surgery, with the aim of understanding their attitudes and behavior toward patient management regarding weight bearing. Qualitative content analysis, in which themes are identified and agreed by multiple coders, suggested that both patient characteristics and surgeon factors influence surgeons' postoperative weight‐bearing orders. While almost all respondents agreed that weight bearing as tolerated is indeed therapeutic for most hip fracture repair or replacement patients, surgeons also described certain patient characteristics that would diminish the value of immediate weight bearing, including poor bone quality and certain types of fracture pattern. Surgeon factors that affect postoperative mobilization orders include choice of construct, previous experience of construct failure, and lack of local audit data regarding past weight‐bearing decisions and patient outcomes. Thus, although familiar with best practice guidelines, surgeons also have “rules to break the rules.” In an era when “good” medicine leans toward science rather than art, the role of individual experience in decision making with regard to hip fracture care continues to be important and would benefit from being discussed openly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In-person physiotherapy services are not readily available to all individuals with musculoskeletal conditions, especially those in rural regions or with time-intensive responsibilities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that telehealth may facilitate access to, and continuity of care, yet many physiotherapists lack telehealth confidence and training. This project co-developed and evaluated a web-based professional development toolkit supporting physiotherapists to provide telehealth services for musculoskeletal conditions., Methods: A mixed-methods exploratory sequential design applied modified experience-based co-design methods (physiotherapists [n = 13], clinic administrators [n = 2], and people with musculoskeletal conditions [n = 7]) to develop an evidence-informed toolkit. Semi-structured workshops were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed, refining the toolkit prototype. Subsequently, the toolkit was promoted via webinars and social media. The usability of the toolkit was examined with pre-post surveys examining changes in confidence, knowledge, and perceived telehealth competence (19 statements modelled from the theoretical domains framework) between toolkit users (>30 min) and non-users (0 min) using chi-squared tests for independence. Website analytics were summarised., Results: Twenty-two participants engaged in co-design workshops. Feedback led to the inclusion of more patient-facing resources, increased assessment-related visual content, streamlined toolkit organisation, and simplified, downloadable infographics. Three hundred and twenty-nine physiotherapists from 21 countries completed the baseline survey, with 172 (52%) completing the 3-month survey. Toolkit users had greater improvement in knowledge, confidence, and competence than non-users in 42% of statements. Seventy-two percentage of toolkit users said it changed their practice, and 95% would recommend the toolkit to colleagues. During the evaluation period, the toolkit received 5486 total views., Discussion: The co-designed web-based Musculoskeletal Telehealth Toolkit is a professional development resource that may increase physiotherapist's confidence, knowledge, and competence in telehealth., (© 2023 The Authors. Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

MyJointReplacement.ca was initiated to integrate patient and provider perspectives with the evidence on joint replacement care into a patient education website to promote consistency in practice. The project's leadership ensured that the project fit into a larger system change initiative. The literature was reviewed and a qualitative study determined patient perspectives on what information was required. Findings were discussed with providers and integrated into the website. The site hosts nearly 1,700 one-hour sessions monthly. In a survey of 50 providers, 40 providers (80%) indicated that they would align their practice with the findings, and 45% (90%) believed that the site reflected best practice. Over 80% (n = 70) of patients surveyed indicated that the site increased their knowledge. It was concluded that developing a patient education website is an innovative approach to provider education if supported by leadership that can integrate the initiative into a broader context.