# Academics’ and clinicians’ perspectives on telehealth integration in Saudi rehabilitation education

## TL;DR

This study explores the views of academics and clinicians in Saudi Arabia on integrating telehealth into rehabilitation education, finding strong support but highlighting barriers like lack of awareness and infrastructure.

## Contribution

The study provides foundational evidence for curriculum reform in Saudi rehabilitation education by analyzing perspectives on telehealth integration.

## Key findings

- Most respondents supported incorporating telehealth into undergraduate rehabilitation curricula.
- Academics showed stronger support for telehealth education than clinicians.
- Barriers included lack of prior discussion and limited awareness of supporting research.

## Abstract

Telehealth is increasingly embedded within healthcare delivery, yet its implementation in rehabilitation education in Saudi Arabia remains limited and inconsistently implemented. Understanding the perspectives of academics and clinicians is essential for informing curriculum reform. This study examined perceptions of telehealth teaching and training among rehabilitation academics and clinicians in Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional online survey using convenience sampling was completed by academics (n = 56) and clinicians (n = 144) across rehabilitation disciplines. Participants who were currently teaching or practicing in Saudi Arabia were eligible. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to compare familiarity, use, and attitudes toward telehealth education.

Most respondents (> 75%) supported incorporating telehealth into undergraduate rehabilitation curricula and endorsed hands-on training for developing telehealth competencies. Academics expressed significantly stronger support for curricular integration than clinicians (χ²=12.49, p = .002). Prior exposure to telehealth was significantly associated with greater support for inclusion (p < .05). The most frequently cited barriers were that telehealth course inclusion had not been previously discussed and limited awareness of supporting research, whereas technological infrastructure was reported less often.

These findings indicate broad support for telehealth education among rehabilitation professionals in Saudi Arabia, while highlighting a gap between perceived importance and curricular readiness shaped by prior exposure and resource availability. The results highlight the need for faculty development, investment in digital infrastructure, and collaborative academic–clinical planning to ensure telehealth competencies are systematically embedded into rehabilitation training. Collectively, this study provides foundational evidence to inform national curriculum reform and digital health workforce development aligned with Saudi Arabia’s digital health transformation efforts.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-026-08639-4.