To determine if physiotherapy outcomes differ in children with concussion treated in-clinic versus virtually.
✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦
With only 23 participants, this study is too underpowered to reliably confirm equivalence between in-person and telehealth concussion physiotherapy; clinicians should treat results as hypothesis-generating rather than practice-changing.
✦ Why It Matters ✦
Telehealth delivery of vestibular and concussion rehabilitation is a growing area of interest for audiologists and balance specialists, and preliminary equivalence data support further investigation.
✦ Key Points ✦
- 01Study compared in-person vs. telehealth physiotherapy outcomes in 23 children with concussion.
- 02Outcomes were similar between delivery modes, suggesting telehealth may be a viable option.
- 03Very small sample size (n=23) limits statistical power and generalisability.
- 04Findings are relevant to audiologists involved in concussion-related vestibular and balance rehabilitation.
- 05Published in Brain Injury journal (doi: 10.1080/02699052.2026.2669601).
✦ Claims & Evidence ✦
ClaimEvidenceSupport
Physiotherapy-based concussion management outcomes are similar for children whether care is provided in-person or via telehealth.
studypartially supported✦ Research metadata ✦
- PMID
- 42095598
- DOI
- 10.1080/02699052.2026.2669601.
- Journal
- Brain Injury
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Sample size
- 23
- Population
- Children with concussion
- Intervention
- Telehealth physiotherapy-based concussion management
- Comparator
- In-person physiotherapy-based concussion management
Primary outcomes
Concussion management outcomes (physiotherapy-based)
