What is Telehealth and How Effective is it?

by Bettina Glauser

What is Telehealth?

Telehealth is the umbrella term for any type of health session that occurs remotely such as a follow up call with your doctor, virtual physiotherapy, online personal training etc. It is the delivery of health-related services via electronic communication such as phone or video call instead of an in-person appointment.

Telehealth is not a new phenomenon but has gained a big boost since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Effective is Physiotherapy Telehealth compared to in person appointments?

Research shows that telehealth is easily comparable in it’s effectiveness to in person treatments.

For example a systematic review and meta-analysis from 2017 shows that “real-time telerehabilitation appears to be effective and comparable to conventional methods of healthcare delivery for the improvement of physical function and pain in a variety of musculoskeletal conditions.» (source: http://search.pedro.org.au/search-results/record-detail/49660)

How does virtual Physiotherapy and Active Rehab work?

You might ask yourself “now how does this work if the physiotherapist can’t treat me with their hands or your movement coach can’t physically cue me?” Let’s start with breaking down the value of in person physiotherapy and movement coaching.

Value of in person physiotherapy and movement coaching

• Assessment: we are assessing your movements, injuries and progress
• Hands on Treatment / Cueing: we provide helpful physiotherapy manipulations or hands on cueing to help your body move better
• Program Design: we design specific programs for your needs, goals and what space and equipment you have available
• Teaching technique: we are teaching you proper technique and ways how to move your individual body most efficiently and pain free
• Support & Accountability: we support through whatever obstacles might come up and hold you accountable to keep you on the right trajectory towards your goals
• Education: we provide education around your injury, issues and your body
• Recovery: we also teach you how to look at recovery evenly important as training to maintain a healthy balance
• Community: we provide you with a care team and resources you can fall on anytime

Value of virtual physiotherapy and movement coaching

And now let’s have a look at how the value changes if the same service is delivered virtually:

It is possible that each of the service values are still executed in a high value way virtually! Of course, we cannot physically put our hands on you but even for that there are some creative hacks around it.

Telehealth appointments even have some unique strengths:

Effective

Telehealth services have been shown to be as effective as traditional clinic-based therapy for many conditions. 

Save Time

Not travelling to an in-person appointment saves valuable travel time, even giving you back up to 2 hours back in your day.

Convenient

Easier access to care and convenience of meeting from a location of your choosing. You can access your team from anywhere!

Consistency

Don’t miss an appointment when you leave town! If it’s for a work trip or you move away; virtual sessions give you the option to keep working with your favorite therapist or coach even if you are geographically remote from the clinic.

We often find that the biggest obstacle so far has been the mindset that “this does not work for me” before it has been given it an honest shot. Once it has been incorporated, many clients find it is actually a really fantastic option for them. While it is not the exact same service in person, telehealth works and is just as effective.

How to set up for your virtual physiotherapy or movement coaching session?

You don’t need much at all!

For your virtual physiotherapy session all you need is enough space to sit, stand and spread your arms.

If you can put down a yoga mat somewhere in your house you have enough space for your online physiotherapy or movement coaching hour. Don’t worry if you do not have any equipment; body weight and some simple household objects provide plenty of movement options. If you want to invest into some equipment, then resistance bands are a great point to start. Bands are cost effective and store away easily. Remember, your progress and success is not dependent on how much space or equipment you have available. It relies on consistency and smart programming.

Questions or ready to try it?

With the extensive experience The Balanced Collective’s team has collected throughout this pandemic so far you can trust us to deliver the same value virtually as we do in person. We understand hesitations and insecurities around virtual appointments and are here to answer all your questions or set up your first virtual session.

Want to book a free 15 minute telehealth consultation to see if it is a good fit for you? Visit our booking link HERE to book in for your free consultation.