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This article originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of On The Level.
The study “Comparing in-clinic versus telehealth for vestibular physical therapy,” published in the Journal of Vestibular Research (2024), evaluated the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation (VR) delivered through telehealth compared to traditional in-clinic methods.
Comparing Patient Groups
Researchers, including vestibular physical therapists Morgan Kriz and Sarah Conover, conducted a retrospective review from May 2020 to January 2021, analyzing three patient groups:
- In-clinic group
- Telehealth group
- Hybrid group (combination of in-clinic and telehealth sessions)
Measuring Efficacy
The primary measure of treatment efficacy was the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), which assesses the self-reported impact of dizziness on daily life.
Results
Results indicated that all groups experienced significant improvements in DHI scores from pre- to post-treatment:
- In-clinic group: 31.85-point improvement
- Telehealth group: 18.75-point improvement
- Hybrid group: 21.45-point improvement
Dizziness Handicap Inventory
The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) is a 25-item questionnaire used to assess the impact of dizziness on daily life. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability: 0–30 suggests mild impact, 31–60 moderate, and 61–100 severe. It helps guide diagnosis and treatment planning.
Takeaways
While the in-clinic group showed the greatest improvement, the differences between groups were not statistically significant. This suggests that telehealth and hybrid approaches are viable alternatives to traditional in-clinic VR for reducing dizziness-related disability.
By Sarah Conover, PT, MHS, CHC
Authors Note
The authors recommend further research to explore the efficacy of telehealth in assessing and treating vestibular conditions.
