What is Telehealth?
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth, also known as Telerehab or Telemedicine, is a way of enhancing health care, public health and health education delivery using telecommunications technologies. This includes e-visits, virtual check-ins, remote evaluation of recorded video and/or images, and telephone assessment and management services. Some of these methods are conducted in real time (but without face-to-face technology) while others use "store-and-forward" technologies, which allow for asynchronous electronic transmission of medical information, including documentation, digital images, and prerecorded videos.
Telehealth allows medical professionals to treat patients during the Covid-19 Pandemic without the risk of in-person visits and close contact.
What do I need to do to prepare for a Telehealth visit?
Due to the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency, the HHS Office for Civil Rights has decided to allow health care providers to serve patients in good faith through everyday communications technologies, such as Zoom, FaceTime and Skype. Patients and providers should always use private locations for telehealth meetings.
In order to prepare for the meeting and make the most of their allotted time, the patient will:
Log into the agreed communication technology early.
Prepare for moving and preforming exercises.
Dress in exercise clothing or easy to move in clothes.
Have space to complete exercises and a set up for the therapist to see the movements.
Bring equipment/objects/towels/bands into the room they expect to be performing exercises.
Write down any pertinent information/questions to go over while online with their therapist.
What does a Telehealth visit look like?
Telehealth visits are constructed much he same as in-person visits, but the patient and therapist are not physically in the same space. The patient will discuss their current condition with their therapist and perform exercises in front of their screen to assure proper form. The therapist will progress exercises as needed, demonstrate proper exercise form and give cues to the patient.
Here is a step-by-step approach to a telehealth appointment:
The therapist and patient will agree to an appointment time and duration in advance.
Both parties will login to the agreed upon communication platform 5-10 minutes before the appointment.
The session will start with questioning from the therapist to the patient about progression and subjective analysis of their condition.
The therapist will then supervise exercises through the communication platform with the patient performing exercises live.
The therapist will provide feedback and progressions based on the patient’s performance.
The therapist will answer any questions and provide a follow up plan.
If you are interested in seeing a physical therapy specialist, but do not wish to make a trip into the office at this time, please email us using our contact page.