What is 'telehealth'?

Telehealth is the term used to describe treating a patient remotely, usually via a video link but historically it was over the phone - hence 'tele'!.  Telehealth remote treatments make use of several technologies to bring you effective physiotherapy. We use video conferencing, telephone, email, instant messenger, pictures and videos among other tools to work along with you step by step to bring you back to pain free mobility/movement.

Is it effective?

Absolutely! Remote rehabilitation via phone or video conferencing has proven to be just as effective at providing rehabilitation when conducted appropriately. The hands on techniques that are used in a face to face treatment session are adapted into exercises that you can perform to achieve the same results.  See also Telehealth for musculoskeletal physiotherapy published in Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, Volume 48, August 2020 which Highlights that "Telehealth is a viable alternative to manage many musculoskeletal conditions."

What should I expect?

The process of Remote Treatment differs from in clinic treatments in several ways.

The major difference between hands on treatment in a clinic setting and a remote appointment is that you, as the patient, are required to take a more active role in your rehabilitation.

Another significant difference is that your appointments are often shorter as you have direct access to your physio throughout your rehabilitation, not just in the sessions you're scheduled for.

During your rehab, we will be providing advice and reference materials via email and you will also be encouraged to keep in touch with your physio, asking questions or checking progress as you go.

I want an in-clinic appointment

We understand that you may feel that you need an in-clinic appointment, however, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has made it quite clear that we are to take a 'virtual first' approach. This is why we conduct a free 15 minute triage call to assess if you meet the criteria for in-clinic treatment.  The following extracts from the CSP guidance on in-clinic treatment should help you understand why we must take this approach:

• A ‘virtual first’ approach must remain standard practice during this period. The CSP continues to advise that all initial contact and triage assessment should be conducted via remote means.
• You must undertake a risk assessment and make a clinically reasoned decision for offering either a face-to-face or remote consultation for each patient and for each of their planned contacts. You must document your rationale for these decisions.
• You must engage your patients in discussions regarding the rationale for remote or face-to-face consultations. If both parties deem it necessary to proceed with face-to-face care, the patient should be made aware of all current risks associated with this approach. They must give their consent and you must document these discussions and the outcome.
• Members may become legally liable if they fail to risk manage treatments and their clinical environment to safeguard patients for example with insufficient PPE, sanitisation, social distancing and other reasonable safety measures. Informed consent should now include reference to COVID-19 and compliance with any legal obligations

What equipment do I need?

While we are able to perform remote treatment over the phone, for many patients video conferencing will be a preferred option. For this route, it goes without saying that you will need a computer with a webcam and a private room in which to take the call.

We will provide you with the software to enable your video conferencing appointment. It does not require any special skills to get working, just follow the simple instructions and you’ll be ready to go.

Why not just use (Zoom/Skype/Google Hangouts/FaceTime/...)?

For Telehealth in physiotherapy, we're using Physitrack's video calling feature over consumer-grade calling programs, and here's why:

• Privacy
• Security
• Remote Exercise demonstration
• Works on all devices and systems

Is it Private and Secure?

Physitrack Telehealth is built around protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of your data. Video and audio streams between call participants are encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption. This includes screen sharing. No audio or video is recorded.

What does it cost?

Please see the above treatment plan options.