As the decade and the pandemic came upon us a lot of people switched to doing their medical appointments online through telehealth. I (Eric Bowman, the author) have seen and continue to see a fairly large number of people online.
Many people have asked me – how do you do physiotherapy online? In this piece I will talk about what telehealth is and who it is and isn’t appropriate for.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth refers to health care or medicine (depending on the profession) done online over video. During telehealth physiotherapy sessions the therapist can:
Assess: looking at posture, how you move, your strength, your flexibility, and (depending on location and camera angle) your ability to do certain tasks
Treat: the nature of the appointment means the physiotherapists can’t do hands on – although a simple way that I explain telehealth physiotherapy appointments to people – is that they’re basically like the first third to half of an in-person appointment just over video.
Does it work?
Research (1, 2) has shown similar outcomes for physiotherapy done in person and over telehealth.
Who is telehealth appropriate for?
Truthfully as long as you have the right technology and are able to safely move around and exercise on your own then you are appropriate for telehealth.
Telehealth is appropriate for most people to a point.
Who is telehealth not appropriate for?
Telehealth is not appropriate for:
- People who don’t have proper technology – you need to have a computer, smartphone, iPad or tablet with high speed internet.
- Some, not all, people with other health conditions – that may (keyword may) make exercising at home without direct supervision unsafe
- People who are at higher risk of falls
- People who need a hands on diagnosis: If I’m trying to diagnose a specific pinched or inflamed nerve OR an ACL tear in the knee that might require surgery – I can’t do that without putting my hands on someone.
- People who need hands-on treatment: If someone has really limited flexibility I may need to put my hands on them to help get them moving.
People ask me all the time “how can you do telehealth without putting your hands on someone?” I say that telehealth is helpful for most people although it’s not appropriate for everyone.
Telehealth; while having a few limitations; can be a very effective means of continuing treatment and healthcare during periods of illness, travel within the province, or bad weather and will continue moving forwards.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31771410/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27141087/
