Telehealth for the Initial Evaluation of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Perspectives of Patients, Healthcare Providers and Key Stakeholders Through Semi‐Structured Interviews in France
8 affiliations
- 1School of Rehabilitation Faculty of Medicine University of Montreal Montreal Quebec Canada
- 2Maisonneuve‐Rosemont Research Center Hospital University of Montreal Affiliated Research Center Montreal Quebec Canada
- 3Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal Montreal University Institute for Physical Disability Rehabilitation Montreal Quebec Canada
- 4Department of Physiotherapy IFPS (Health Professional Training Institute) Grenoble Alpes University Grenoble France
- 5University of Sherbrooke Sherbrooke Quebec Canada
- 6School of Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty of Medicine Laval University Quebec City Quebec Canada
- 7Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration Quebec City Quebec Canada
- 8ThEMAS (Techniques for the Evaluation and Modeling of Health Actions) Team TIMC (Medical Engineering and Complexity Techniques) Laboratory UMR (Joint Research Unit) CNRS‐UGA (The French National Centre for Scientific Research–Université Grenoble Alpes) Grenoble Alpes University Saint‐Martin‐d'Heres France
Abstract
Background: The efficacy and acceptability of remote care have now been demonstrated for many musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs). However, the acceptability and potential uses of an initial remote evaluation for MSKDs have been scarcely studied and may be lower because of the loss of physical contact during the physical examination.
Objective: To explore the use of telehealth for the initial evaluation of MSKDs in France and to provide an in‐depth understanding of its application, benefits and barriers.
Methods: Twenty‐nine semi‐structured interviews were conducted in France with patients, healthcare providers (family physicians, musculoskeletal medical specialists and physiotherapists), professional body representatives and telehealth software specialists. Five tailored interview guides adapted from a previous qualitative study were used. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and a reflexive thematic analysis was performed.
Results: Participants found initial remote evaluations innovative for improving access but disagreed on the optimal scope and use. Four key themes were identified: (1) remote evaluation as a continuum from triage to diagnosis, conditioned by the perceived validity and feasibility of the adapted physical examination; (2) telehealth can complicate the patient–provider relationship; (3) videoconferencing is common, but its use in medical consultations may increase workload and burden; and (4) unlocking the full potential of telehealth requires coordinated planning and action as well as system‐level support.
Conclusions: Participants consistently identified remote triage as an acceptable initial stage in implementing remote evaluations for patients with MSKDs. Successful implementation will likely require targeted support for both patients and healthcare providers in conducting remote evaluations.
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BibTeX
@article{vincent2026telehealth,
title = {{Telehealth for the Initial Evaluation of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Perspectives of Patients, Healthcare Providers and Key Stakeholders Through Semi‐Structured Interviews in France}},
author = {Raphaël Vincent and Valentin Coz and Pauline Lemersre and Annie Bélanger and Audrey‐Anne Cormier and Kadija Perreault and Jean‐Sébastien Roy and Nicolas Pinsault and Dahlia Kairy and François Desmeules},
journal = {Musculoskeletal Care},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1002/msc.70303},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/msc.70303},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Telehealth for the Initial Evaluation of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Perspectives of Patients, Healthcare Providers and Key Stakeholders Through Semi‐Structured Interviews in France
AU - Raphaël Vincent
AU - Valentin Coz
AU - Pauline Lemersre
AU - Annie Bélanger
AU - Audrey‐Anne Cormier
AU - Kadija Perreault
AU - Jean‐Sébastien Roy
AU - Nicolas Pinsault
AU - Dahlia Kairy
AU - François Desmeules
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Musculoskeletal Care
DO - 10.1002/msc.70303
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/msc.70303
AB - Background: The efficacy and acceptability of remote care have now been demonstrated for many musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs). However, the acceptability and potential uses of an initial remote evaluation for MSKDs have been scarcely studied and may be lower because of the loss of physical contact during the physical examination. Objective: To explore the use of telehealth for the initial evaluation of MSKDs in France and to provide an in‐depth understanding of its application, benefits and barriers. Methods: Twenty‐nine semi‐structured interviews were conducted in France with patients, healthcare providers (family physicians, musculoskeletal medical specialists and physiotherapists), professional body representatives and telehealth software specialists. Five tailored interview guides adapted from a previous qualitative study were used. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and a reflexive thematic analysis was performed. Results: Participants found initial remote evaluations innovative for improving access but disagreed on the optimal scope and use. Four key themes were identified: (1) remote evaluation as a continuum from triage to diagnosis, conditioned by the perceived validity and feasibility of the adapted physical examination; (2) telehealth can complicate the patient–provider relationship; (3) videoconferencing is common, but its use in medical consultations may increase workload and burden; and (4) unlocking the full potential of telehealth requires coordinated planning and action as well as system‐level support. Conclusions: Participants consistently identified remote triage as an acceptable initial stage in implementing remote evaluations for patients with MSKDs. Successful implementation will likely require targeted support for both patients and healthcare providers in conducting remote evaluations.
SN - 1478-2189
SN - 1557-0681
ER -