Table 1 Results of the surveyed participants (n = 488) for the comparisons of male vs. female, age (22 missing), hospital sector (= HS) vs. outpatient sector (= OS) (7 missing) and online group (= OG:) vs. presence group (= PG). Individual p-values are shown for each comparison. Individual number of total answers are given for each question (with possible abstention option in the questionnaire) as well as total participation numbers

What do you think about digitalization?

454

n = 256 (%)

n = 184 (%)

0.100

n = 153 (%)

n = 301 (%)

0.860

n = 51 (%)

n = 403 (%)

0.065

n = 239 (%)

n = 217 (%)

0.178

I find the topic very interesting and participate actively involved

35 (14)

30 (16)

32 (21)

38 (13)

12 (23)

57 (14)

54 (23)

16 (8)

The topic is interesting. I use offers if they fit into my profession.

152 (59)

91 (49)

73 (48)

171 (56)

29 (57)

216 (54

105 (44)

141 (65)

I wait with a use, until more experiences are present.

47 (18)

34 (19)

33 (21)

52 (17)

6 (12)

79 (20)

41 (17)

44 (20)

I am rather skeptical about this topic.

18 (7)

18 (10)

10 (7)

29 (10)

2 (4)

37 (9)

26 (11)

13 (6)

I would rather not include this topic in my job integrate.

4 (2)

11 (6)

5 (3)

11 (4)

2 (4)

14 (3)

13 (5)

3 (1)

How “fit” do you keep yourself when it comes to digitalization in relation to your professional activities? (Indication by school grades)

461

n = 258

n = 187

0.0001

n = 154

n = 305

0.379

n = 51

n = 408

0.057

n = 240

n = 221

0.142

Very good (“1”)

19 (7)

9 (5)

19 (12)

12 (3)

5 (10)

25 (6)

21 (9)

10

Good (“2”)

80 (31)

46 (24)

59 (38)

72 (24)

17 (33)

113 (28)

68 (28)

63

Satisfying (“3”)

111 (43)

62 (33)

39 (25)

136 (45)

21 (41)

155 (38)

80 (33)

96

Sufficient (“4”)

38 (15)

50 (27)

29 (20)

62 (20)

6 (12)

86 (21)

52 (22)

40

Defective (“5”)

8 (3)

17 (9)

5 (3)

21 (7)

1 (2)

25 (6)

16 (7)

10

Insufficient (“6”)

2 (1)

3 (2)

3 (2)

2 (1)

1 (2)

4 (1)

3 (1)

2

Do you use smartphone apps in your professional life? (multiple answers possible)

488

n = 269

n = 197

n = 167

n = 314

n = 54

n = 427

n = 263

n = 225

Yes - for my own organizational support (e.g. patient calendar or similar).

52 (19)

46 (23)

0.293

42 (25)

57 (18)

0.071

9 (17)

90 (21)

0.450

58 (22)

41 (18)

0.294

Yes - to my professional support (e.g. AO app, apps for specific training methods, or similar).

76 (28)

55 (28)

0.937

48 (29)

87 (28)

0.810

14 (26)

120 (28)

0.737

74 (28)

61 (27)

0.801

Yes - for communication with colleagues.

161 (60)

85 (43)

0.000

83 (50)

168 (54)

0.427

29 54)

221 (52)

0.787

113 (43)

139 (62)

0.000

Yes - for communication with patients (e.g. own practice app, apps for therapy documentation, etc.)

29 (11)

28 (14)

0.264

19 (11)

42 (13)

0.531

1 (2)

60 (14)

0.011

19 (7)

42 (19)

0.012

No, I don’t want any apps for use my physiotherapeutic activity.

39 (14)

54 (27)

0.001

34 (20)

61 (19)

0.807

13 (24)

83 (19)

0.422

60 (23)

36 (16)

0.059

What potential do you associate with “digitalization” in physiotherapy? (multiple answers possible)

488

n = 269

n = 197

n = 167

n = 314

n = 54

n = 427

n = 263

n = 225

Patient care will be improved.

74 (28)

51 (26)

0.696

52 (31)

76 2 (4)

0.101

15 (28)

112 (26)

0.808

77 (29)

52 (23)

0.124

My work is made easier (e.g. organization, procedures and processes...).

197 (73)

121 (61)

0.007

105 (63)

223 (71)

0.068

39 (72)

289 (68)

0.500

167 (63)

163 (72)

0.035

Communication among colleagues is made easier.

177 (66)

99 (50)

0.001

95 (57)

188 (60)

0.526

31 (57)

252 (59)

0.821

138 (52)

146 (65)

0.006

Communication with patients is made easier.

91 (34)

62 (31)

0.593

67 (40)

93 (30)

0.020

15 (28)

144 (34)

0.382

92 (35)

68 (30)

0.264

Disease prevention measures are being expanded.

67 (25)

48 (24)

0.893

39 (23)

78 (25)

0.717

14 (26)

102 (24)

0.741

68 (26)

49 (22)

0.293

Rehabilitation measures are being expanded.

63 (23)

48 (24)

0.813

38 (23)

74 (24)

0.841

16 (30)

95 (22)

0.225

72 (27)

41 (18)

0.017

What potential problems do you associate with “digitalization” in physiotherapy? (multiple answers possible)

488

n = 269

n = 197

n = 167

n = 314

n = 54

n = 427

n = 263

n = 225

The effort of introducing digital technologies is high

109 (41)

103 (52)

0.012

86 (51)

135 (43)

0.075

27 (50)

195 (46)

0.547

128 (49)

94 (42)

0.128

The physiotherapist-patient relationship is worsened.

26 (10)

20 (10)

0.862

14 (8)

33 (11)

0.455

7 (13)

40 (9)

0.402

26 (10)

21 (9)

0.837

The practical implementation is not yet mature enough.

83 (31)

62 (31)

0.887

52 (31)

99 (32)

0.930

12 (22)

139 (33)

0.123

77 (29)

74 (33)

0.390

I myself have too little experience with the topic.

74 (28)

75 (38)

0.016

27 (16)

123 (39)

0.000

16 (30)

136 (32)

0.741

81 (31)

71 (32)

0.857

Data protection is a relevant issue.

137 (51)

119 (60)

0.042

92 (55)

172 (55)

0.984

26 (48)

237 (56)

0.306

155 (59)

109 (48)

0.020

Financial compensation as an incentive is still insufficient

84 (32)

103 (52)

0.000

69 (41)

124 (39)

0.697

20 (37)

173 (41)

0.623

142 (54)

51 (23)

0.000

How do you estimate the importance of “Big Data” or “artificial intelligence” in your profession

438

n = 245

n = 178

0.653

n = 149

n = 287

0.777

n = 51

n = 385

0.001

n = 233

n = 205

0.431

Both will significantly shape the way I work.

18 (7)

6 (3)

15 (10)

9 (3)

7 (14)

16 (4)

15 (6)

9 (4)

The topic will increase in relevance.

140 (57)

105 (60)

79 (53)

176 (61)

36 (70)

220 (57)

130 (56)

126 (62)

0.525

The topic will not play a relevant role in physiotherapy.

41 (17)

27 (15)

31 (21)

39 (14)

4 (8)

65 (17)

37 (16)

33 (16)

The topic will be irrelevant for my personal work.

46 (19)

40 (22)

24 (16)

63 (22)

4 (8)

84 (22)

51 (22)

37 (18)

Which of the following digital services are already in use today by you or your employer for your work area? (multiple answers possible)

488

n = 269

n = 197

n = 167

n = 314

n = 54

n = 427

n = 263

n = 225

Electronic patient file

95 (35)

69 (35)

0.948

60 (36)

106 (34)

0.634

37 (69)

128 (30)

0.000

93 (35)

74 (33)

0.566

Online video consultation

1 (1)

5 (3)

0.040

5 (3)

1 (1)

0.012

1 (2)

5 (1)

0.671

6 (2)

0 (0)

0.023

Your own homepage

215 (80)

138 (70)

0.014

127 (76)

236 (75)

0.829

34 (63)

329 (77)

0.023

183 (70)

182 (81)

0.004

Electronic appointment allocation

72 (27)

43 (22)

0.222

47 (28)

71 (23)

0.179

17 (31)

100 (23)

0.193

52 (20)

66 (29)

0.014

Telemedicine (e.g. video-based communication with colleagues/doctors/patients or similar)

7 (3)

6 (3)

0.774

7 (4)

7 (2)

0.223

4 (7)

10 (2)

0.037

11 (4)

3 (1)

0.060

Social media (e.g. Facebook/Instagram/Twitter or similar)

106 (39)

51 (26)

0.002

66 (40)

96 (31)

0.048

11 (20)

150 (35)

0.030

78 (30)

84 (37)

0.073

Email contact possibility

205 (76)

141 (72)

0.258

129 (77)

230 (73)

0.337

36 (67)

323 (76)

0.153

192 (73)

169 (75)

0.597

Would you claim that you are aware of essential aspects of the current legal situation regarding digalitization (including national e-health laws, European Data Protection Regulation, etc.)?

443

n = 249

n = 178

0.085

n = 146

n = 296

0.353

n = 47

n = 394

0.685

n = 239

n = 204

0.002

I fully agree

5 (2)

10 (6)

3 (2)

13 (4)

1 (2)

15 (4)

12 (5)

4 (2)

Rather yes

60 (24)

63 (35)

58 (40)

71 (24)

13 (28)

115 (29)

91 (38)

38 (19)

Rather no

153 (62)

92 (52)

67 (46)

184 (62)

29 (62)

223 (57)

121 (50)

131 (64)

Not at all

31 (12)

13 (7)

18 (12)

28 (10)

4 (8))

41 (10)

15 (7)

31 (15)