TeleRehab
With the social distancing precautions that are now upon us, we at The Well-Life Centre are pleased to offer “Remote Therapy” to help meet your health care needs.
As part of our “Remote Therapy” program, we now offer TeleRehab—a multimedia approach to delivering physiotherapy services remotely. From the safety of your own home, you can now access Physiotherapy remotely using telecommunication technologies (video chat, email, phone, etc.). This will allow us to connect with you to collaborate over your healthcare plan.
Benefits of TeleRehab:
- Saves patients time and money.
- More flexibility in scheduling appointments.
- Eliminates geographic, transportation and physical distancing barriers.
- Observing a patient performing exercise in their own environment enables the practitioner to better personalize a program specific to each patient’s space and equipment availability.
- Convenient for those who do not live close to the clinic.
- Safe, effective treatment method for immunocompromised individuals.
While TeleRehab does not replace in-person appointments, it allows us to maximize what we can do in the current situation and can be a useful tool for all moving forward.
We have partnered with Phzio to provide virtual Physiotherapy and Chiropractic services. Phzio is a simple, easy-to-use platform that is HIPPA compliant. Take a look to see what a TeleRehab session can look like:
Commonly Asked Questions about TeleRehab:
What is the difference between Virtual Care, Telehealth and TeleRehab?
For the most part, all these terms means the same thing. Virtual Care and Telehealth are umbrella terms for remote healthcare, while TeleRehab is specific to physiotherapy.
What is TeleRehab?
TeleRehab specifically refers to the delivery of physiotherapy remotely, including all aspects of patient care including assessment and diagnosis, treatment, maintenance, consultation, education, training and injury prevention.
How does it work?
The most common method for TeleRehab is videoconferencing (Zoom, FaceTime, etc.), but can also include email, phone calls and apps.
Is it appropriate for everyone?
During the initial consultation, the patient and physiotherapist will jointly decide if TeleRehab is appropriate. Physiotherapists have a duty to the patient to disclose if they feel the patient is not suitable for remote therapy.
Is it covered by my benefits/ extended health insurance?
Most major extended health benefits plans, such as SunLife and Manulife cover TeleRehab. Coverage is dependent on the plan you have, so it is advised to check with your provider to determine the coverage.
What do I need?
For most appointments:
• A webcam is needed for the video chat—either on a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
• A quiet, private room that has strong internet connection.
• Clothing that is suitable for a Physiotherapy appointment.
Is TeleRehab effective?
There have been many research studies over the past 10 years looking at the effectiveness of remote therapy/TeleRehab, they have shown that diagnostic accuracy, functional results and patient satisfaction to be comparable to traditional face-to-face therapy (Russell T. 2011, Cottrell M.A, 2018 & Owuso-Akyaw K.A., 2019).
The Last Thing You Need to Know About TeleRehab:
Not every person or every condition is perfectly suited to TeleRehab. However, the risk of COVID-19 transmission in most cases outweighs the benefits of in-clinic manual therapy. This is the most effective way for us to continue supporting your rehabilitation and health goals despite the restrictions currently in place.
We provide evidence-based and highly effective care. This means we use techniques that have been shown, in research studies, to be effective. If you’re still not sure this is an effective form of therapy, Take a few minutes to review the research studies yourself. We’ve listed them here for you.
Mbada, C., Olaoye, M., Ayanniyi, O., Johnson, O., Odole, A., & Dada, O. (2017). Comparative Efficacy of Clinic-Based and Telerehabilitation Application of Mckenzie Therapy in Low-Back Pain. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 98(10), e46-e47.
Azma, K., RezaSoltani, Z., Rezaeimoghaddam, F., Dadarkhah, A., & Mohsenolhosseini, S. (2018). Efficacy of tele-rehabilitation compared with office-based physical therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 24(8), 560-565.
Mani, S., Sharma, S., & Singh, D. K. (2019). Concurrent validity and reliability of telerehabilitation-based physiotherapy assessment of cervical spine in adults with non-specific neck pain. Journal of telemedicine and telecare, 1357633X19861802.
Cottrell, M. A., Galea, O. A., O’Leary, S. P., Hill, A. J., & Russell, T. G. (2017). Real-time telerehabilitation for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions is effective and comparable to standard practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical rehabilitation, 31(5), 625-638.
Nelson, M., Bourke, M., Crossley, K., & Russell, T. (2020). Telerehabilitation is non-inferior to usual care following total hip replacement—a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Physiotherapy, 107, 19-27.
As part of the Remote Therapy program, we will be rolling out different initiatives to help support you during these times. We are trying to foster a more collaborative approach and would love your input and feedback.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is a process. Working together is success.” ~ Henry Ford