Abstract / Summary
Background: Digital health and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming rehabilitation practice, creating an urgent need for rehabilitation professionals to develop new competencies through continuing professional development (CPD). Despite the growing importance of digital rehabilitation, evidence regarding digital health and AI-related CPD needs among rehabilitation professionals in low- and middle-income countries remains limited. This study aimed to identify the digital health and AI-related CPD needs of rehabilitation professionals in Jordan. Methods: A national convergent parallel mixed-methods study was conducted between January and May 2026. Licensed physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, and prosthetists/orthotists completed a structured online questionnaire assessing CPD participation, digital health competencies, AI-related knowledge, perceived barriers, and future educational priorities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of rehabilitation professionals and key stakeholders to further explore experiences and educational needs. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Findings from both components were integrated during interpretation. Results: A total of 462 rehabilitation professionals completed the survey, and 20 participated in qualitative interviews. Artificial intelligence (mean = 4.71 ± 0.52), telerehabilitation (4.64 ± 0.61), clinical decision support systems (4.59 ± 0.65), and virtual reality rehabilitation (4.55 ± 0.69) emerged as the highest-priority CPD topics. Among the 462 participants, 169 (36.6%) reported previous participation in digital-health-related CPD, while 82 (17.7%) reported receiving formal education in artificial intelligence. The principal barriers to CPD participation were lack of time (84.4%), financial cost (79.2%), limited AI-focused educational opportunities (76.8%), and inadequate employer support (63.0%). Previous digital health training, years of professional experience, and employer support independently predicted higher self-reported digital health competency (adjusted R2 = 0.39; p < 0.05). Qualitative findings demonstrated that rehabilitation professionals recognized digital transformation as inevitable but reported insufficient practical training, organisational support, and nationally coordinated educational opportunities. Conclusions: Jordanian rehabilitation professionals demonstrated high motivation to develop competencies in digital health and AI but reported substantial educational and organisational barriers. National competency frameworks, structured CPD programmes, and integration of digital health into rehabilitation curricula are needed to prepare the rehabilitation workforce for technology-enabled healthcare. The findings may inform workforce development strategies in Jordan and other low- and middle-income countries undergoing digital transformation.