Physiotherapy East Sheen offer telehealth consultations
Telehealth is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver health care services across distances. This includes the transmission of audio, video and data between patients and health care providers, and between healthcare professionals in different locations.
Physiotherapy telehealth consultations are particularly useful for patients with chronic and complex conditions who have a high need for clinical support, for example:
Our team of experienced physiotherapists at Physiotherapy East Sheen is trained to conduct telehealth physiotherapy assessment sessions, and we have the equipment and technology required to facilitate these sessions. Having worked with many patients with complex health conditions over the years, we have found that telehealth consultations can be as effective as face to face consultations in many cases.
A telehealth physiotherapy consultation can be conducted over the phone or using a video-conferencing system. The benefit of a video-conferencing system is that both the participant and the physiotherapist can see each other clearly, which helps build trust, rapport and communication. Compared with a telephone consultation, a video-conferencing system also allows the physiotherapist to observe and assess the patient’s physical condition more effectively.
For example, we can observe a patient’s breathing pattern during a telehealth consultation, which can be helpful in assessing a person’s respiratory function and lung capacity. We can also listen to a patient’s heart rate, which is important for identifying heart conditions such as heart failure. In addition, we can also measure a patient’s blood pressure, which can be an important indicator of a person’s overall health status.
Does Physiotherapy East Sheen offer telehealth consultations?
In a telehealth physiotherapy consultation, the clinician can take an in-depth history from the patient about their health problems and concerns and also ask the patient to perform certain movements on screen to assess their mobility. Physiotherapists will usually also discuss treatment options and provide advice on how to manage a client’s health problem.
The majority of participants were’very satisfied’ or’satisfied’ with their physiotherapy telehealth assessment. Most participants felt confident with the method and stated they would recommend it to a friend. Most reported that the video conference was clear with good visual and audio quality. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with participants and practitioners indicated that telehealth physiotherapy assessments were cost effective in rural areas, provided access to care when clinics were closed, provided familiar physiotherapists in the rural community and enhanced interprofessional practice.
A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the ‘PhysioDirect’ telehealth assessment and advice service compared to usual care for people with musculoskeletal problems.
The utility studies in this review used complete cost-utility analyses and a quality adjusted life year (QALY) estimate to compare the telehealth group with the control group. In all three utility studies, telehealth consultations were found to be cost-effective.
Airway clearance techniques are particularly beneficial for individuals with conditions characterized by excessive mucus production and airway congestion, such as cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis. Physiotherapy interventions such as chest percussion, vibration, postural drainage, and active cycle of breathing techniques (ACBT) help mobilize and clear secretions from the airways, improving ventilation and reducing the risk of respiratory infections.
