Understanding Telehealth and its Impact on Physical Therapy
Definition of Telehealth
In the healthcare industry, telehealth technology is used to provide remote healthcare services to patients and providers. Telehealth services include a wide range of services, such as virtual consultations, telemedicine appointments, and remote patient monitoring.
Telehealth technology allows healthcare professionals to provide care to patients who cannot make it to a physical healthcare facility. These services have removed barriers to healthcare for patients in rural areas, patients with mobility issues, and patients with limited access to transportation.
Importance of Telehealth in Physical Therapy
Like most forms of healthcare, physical therapy has traditionally been provided in person with direct care from the physical therapist. These appointments typically involve hands-on treatment and examinations from the physical therapist, allowing them to follow the patient’s recovery plan and reduce the risk of further injury.
However, many patients don’t have access to physical therapy for a variety of reasons, including poor health insurance coverage, living in remote areas, and not being available during working hours. Providing an online physical therapy session through a telehealth platform helps break down these access barriers and allows more patients to receive the healthcare services they need.
The Merits of Using Telehealth Software in Physical Therapy
Convenience and Accessibility of Treatment
The most significant benefit of online physical therapy treatment is how it allows patients to receive care from any location, provided they have access to the internet and a connected device. Virtual physical therapy services also save patients time and money by eliminating the travel time to and from the appointment, time spent in the waiting room, and any costs associated with transportation.
Improving Patient Engagement
When patients are engaged in their physical therapy program and progress, their treatment and health outcomes are more likely to improve. When patients have physical therapy appointments through a telehealth app, they are able to message their physical therapist with any questions, concerns, or updates about their PT program.
In the telehealth app, physical therapists can also include educational resources available to patients, allowing them to view health tips and resources on their condition. Patient education tools help encourage patients to be more involved in their healthcare, improving their health outcomes.
Data Tracking and Progress Monitoring Features
In a telehealth app, healthcare providers can monitor a patient’s care, including tracking their progress. Physical therapists can perform checkpoints during a telehealth physical therapy session, ensuring the patient is making progress.
With the use of charts and graphs, telehealth platforms can take the data a provider enters during these virtual visits and display the information comprehensively. When a patient can track their progress through telehealth apps, they will be encouraged to avoid burnout and continue with their telehealth physical therapy appointments.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Telehealth Software for Physical Therapy
Easy to Use Interface
Telehealth physical therapy patients will come from a wide range of backgrounds and experience in technology and telehealth services. Having an interface that is easy to use and user-friendly is essential to keeping patients engaged and attending their telehealth sessions. Patients can also encounter technical issues, so having a healthcare IT support team available will be crucial.
High-Quality Video and Audio
Having high-quality video and audio is essential for a telehealth physical therapy platform to reduce the risk of further injury. Physical therapists must be able to see the patient clearly to verify their form is correct. If the telehealth app has poor audio, the physical therapist could miss questions from the patient, and the patient could miss corrections from the physical therapist.
Integration with Current Systems
Most healthcare systems currently use a form of telehealth technology to track appointments or electronic medical records (EMR). Being able to integrate a telehealth physical therapy app with an existing software system is essential to keeping patients’ records and care plans accurate.
The Future of Telehealth in Physical Therapy
Potential Technology Advancements
Telehealth technology has quickly advanced over the past couple of years with the increased demand for remote healthcare services. These advancements include remote patient monitoring, mobile health applications, and increased use of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
Potential advancements in the future of telehealth technology include the use of blockchain technology, advanced IoT devices, and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology.
The Role of AI in Teletherapy
Artificial intelligence is an emerging trend in telehealth technology, supporting innovative solutions by analyzing patient data and transforming it into valuable insights. AI can identify patterns and trends in patient data, allowing providers to track a patient’s progress and identify risks and causes for regression.
Predicted Growth and Expansion of Telehealth Therapy
As telehealth technology continues to advance, more patients will start to utilize telehealth apps to meet with their physical therapist remotely. While in-person visits will continue to remain common for physical therapy delivery, virtual physical therapy will become an ideal choice for patients who experience access barriers to healthcare.
Partner With Geneca Today
If your healthcare organization is ready to build a telehealth solution to offer virtual physical therapy services to your patients, contact Geneca today! We have over 25 years of experience in software development and understand the intricacies of building software in the healthcare industry. Receive a commitment-free consultation with a member of our leadership team to discover how we can build the software solution your organization needs.