The Future of Medicine - The Use and Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation

With modern advances in technology, everything is available with a click of a mouse, including medical services. This allows patients to access to medical professionals without experiencing the inconveniences associated with in-clinic visits. This form of delivery is known as telehealth or telerehabilitation when physical therapy services are being delivered. When comparing effectiveness of in-clinic and telerehabilitation services patient outcomes are the same.

In-Clinic Visits

Although traditional physical therapy has been shown to be effective in treating musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions, there are many inconveniences that are associated with an in-clinic visit.

  •  Travel time to clinic

  • Travel time home from clinic

  • Time spent in waiting room

  • Minimal one-on-one time with therapist (clinic dependent)

  • Potential to travel in inclement weather

  • Possibility to miss work to make appointment

  • Frequency and total number of visits

How Telehealth Minimizes Inconveniences

The most alluring aspect of telerehabilitation is convenience of time and location: there is not travel time required; no time spent in waiting rooms; no travel in inclement weather; and access anywhere you have a computer or smart device, this allows the patient to access therapy services from their home, work, or gym.  Telerehabilitation also allows patient to fit their rehab into a busy work schedule which minimizes the possibility of missing work which minimizes effect income. Lastly, telehealth appointments are entirely one-on-one which provides the most value for your money.

 Justification for Telehealth Physical Therapy

Telerehabilitation services can be accessed by anyone with a computer or smart device, so you’re not dependent upon services in your physical location. This is effective for those that travel for work or live in rural areas. When looking at the effectiveness of telerehabilitation, patients have been found to have similar results when compared to in-clinic therapy; furthermore, the utilization of technology, such as a smartphone app to access their home exercise program, demonstrated increased compliance with exercises, which helps people lean to manage their condition on their own and speeds up the rehab process. Patients who participated in telerehabilitation reported increased quality of care, patient engagement, and patient satisfaction when compared to in-clinic rehab. Lastly, utilizing telehealth reduced overall cost for patients.

I would encourage those that do not seek out physical therapy for the inconveniences listed above or those who stop participating in their therapy for the same reasons to seek out providers that telerehabilitation services to decrease your pain, improve function, allow for participation in hobbies and recreational activities, and improve your overall quality of life.

References

Lazare J. Hospital at Home: Patient Care Model of the Future? Aging Well. 2013;6,2:20

New study to evaluate virtual rehabilitation platform for physical therapy after total knee replacement surgery. Duke Clinical Research Institute website. https://dcri.org/veritas-enrollment/. Accessed January 21, 2020.

Pande RL, Morris M, Peters A, et al. Leveraging remote behavioral health interventions to improve medical outcomes and reduce costs. Am J Manag Care 2015;21:e141-51.

What are the Advantages of Telemedicine? Doxy.me website. https://doxy.me/advantages-of-telemedicine. Accessed January 21, 2020.

Wicklund E. Can Telehealth Make Physical Therapy More Effective? Mhelath Intelligence website. https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/can-telehealth-make-physical-therapy-more-effective. Accessed January 21, 2020.

Telehealth, Physical TherapyTyson GreenwoodPhysical Therapy, TelerehabilitationComment