The impacts of Covid-19 have brought to life the benefits of Telehealth services (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). Telehealth is a service that allows health professionals to provide their services via conferencing software. This means that patients can continue receiving vital guidance and support to ensure that their health goals and outcomes are still being met.
The benefits of Telehealth
The benefits of Telehealth have only become more prominent during the covid-19 outbreak, however there are many other benefits to Telehealth consultations (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). For example, Telehealth has been an asset for regional towns and communities who may not usually be able to reach these vital health resources. In other cases, people have been able to contact health professionals from other states allowing patients to have more access to a variety of services. During the outbreak of Covid-19 while many people have not been able to see their health professionals in person, Telehealth has provided an alternative way to access much needed care and support.
Additionally, during recent lockdowns Telehealth appointments have provided essential social interaction, guidance, and support at time where for many, lockdowns can be extremely isolating. According to Dr Lewin (2020), mental distress rose for people aged 18 – 35, women and individuals with children as a result of lockdowns. While Exercise Physiology sessions are considered an essential service and private clinics have remained open, those in commercial gym settings and for persons with compromised immunity Telehealth has provided welcome alternative in accessing services. For the older population, Telehealth has been a great way to access health services in addition to home visits. Telehealth appointments allow for health professionals to check in with patients more frequently in the comfort of their own home. This provides individuals with a disability a variety of options to access healthcare services, whilst removing some common barriers to exercise.
What to expect from your Telehealth session?
A Telehealth consultation remains similar to a regular consultation with the objectives remaining the same. As mentioned, the goal of a Telehealth appointment is to first check in with the patient which has become particularly important during recent times. As an exercise physiologist it is important to understand first how the patient is feeling mentally as that can impact the way one is physically feeling. Covid-19 has brought additional stresses into people’s lives and therefore, the team at Northside Allied Health (NAH) want to ensure that we work with everyone to support them through their journey.
The second step is for the provider to extract information from the patient to provide an update on their physical health and referred conditions including any progressions or regressions to ensure that the exercise program is still meeting the current needs. This can be done via exercise assessment, range of motion assessment, pain records or pain and injury questionnaires to give the provider a clear picture of how the condition is tracking under the current program. From that assessment the program may be updated to include additional exercises or increased repetitions or in some instances reducing the load to remove exercises that are not complimenting progression. Finally, any further information or observation on exercise technique is assessed where necessary and a plan is assigned until the next session is planned.
- Check in on current health status
- Provide an assessment of referred conditions
- Check in on exercise compliance
- Take through exercise prescription and update their program
- Set up exercises to be completed independently
- Organise a follow up
Telehealth for the win!
Whether you in the clinic or doing a Telehealth consult, the goals and objectives of an exercise physiology session remain the same. Telehealth consultations have shown the variety of benefits they provide outside of Covid-19 and has allowed the opportunity for individuals to access essential health care services, removing any existing barriers. If you are interested in Telehealth consultations, please have a chat with your EP or email our admin team here.
References
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/telehealth-the-advantages-and-disadvantages
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/study-finds-lockdown-having-biggest-impact-on-thre