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.

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Identifiers

ORCID for T. Pincus: orcid.org/0000-0002-3172-5624

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