Does Therapy Always Need Touch? - A cross- sectional study among Switzerland-based occupational therapists and midwives regarding their experience with health care at a distance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020 Verena Klamroth (
[email protected] ) ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8944-792X Michael Gemperle ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Thomas Ballmer ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Susanne Grylka-Baeschlin ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Jessica Pehlke-Milde ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Brigitte Gantschnig ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Research article Keywords: Tele-health, tele-care, tele-rehabilitation, tele-monitoring health professions, video-telephony, technology acceptance, occupational therapy, midwifery Posted Date: November 6th, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-103168/v1 License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Read Full License Page 1/19 Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impedes therapy and care activities. Health care at a distance (HCD) is a promising way to ll the supply gap. However, facilitators and barriers inuence the use and experience of HCD in occupational therapists (OTs) and midwives. We identied use of services and appraisal of experiences of Switzerland-based OTs and midwives regarding the provision of HCD during the lockdown as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. 1. Hypothesis: Profession, age in years, and area of work have a signicant and meaningful inuence over whether HCD is provided. 2. Hypothesis: Profession, age in years, area of work, possibility of reimbursement by health insurance, and application used have a signicant and meaningful inuence on the experience of HCD.