Tele Health and Remote Consultations
We are guided by our professional body Chartered Society of Physiotherapy COVID-19: guide for implementation of remote consultations. The guide provides practical advice for therapists and support workers to implement remote consultations rapidly and efficiently. This includes video consultation (e.g. Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, other commercial products), telephone consultation, email and mobile messaging).
We at Healing Touch Rehab take our client’s health and wellbeing as a top priority. Lack of motivation, inactivity and inability to continue prescribed rehabilitation plans can lead to deconditioning of health and well-being. “We offer remote consultation for our clients where appropriates”, explained Clinical Director Kay Ganguly. “Training and advice can be offered via tele-heath consultation for postural management strategies, helping clients’ to keep their activity levels high throughout the day, spasticity management, support with orthotics and splinting, use of suitable rehabilitation technology, equipment, moving and handling guidance to their care team.”
Kay explains “We have actively set up plans and guidance for each client, making their prescription easy to follow using video links and digital plans. Our clinicians can create bespoke client centred remote management plans and can be involved in training of care teams and families on how best to deliver rehabilitation support if they are unable to see their therapists face to face. We are reviewing and updating our advice periodically making sure there is demonstrated progress.”
Kay continues “There are numerous benefits of tele-health consultations and now that we have explored these options, we are more likely to continue to use tele-health consultations with due consent of our clients and suited to their individual and bespoke needs. Besides supporting the rehabilitation goals of our clients, this also offers a structure and routine to their day and gives them personal accountability of their own health needs.”
“We see our paediatric and young clients engaging extremely well with the use of technology and they particularly enjoy seeing themselves on the screen alongside their own therapist” added Kay. Parents are getting more and more confident handling their children during therapeutic activities and this certainly has a role to play in understanding their own child’s strengths and areas of improvement.”
“Needless to say, we have seen exemplary relationship building with our clients and this has helped them develop further trust and rapport with their therapists. We are hopeful that clients stay positive and continue to achieve their target goals and we are here to support anyone who could benefit from our expertise!”
May be appropriate
- For clinicians who are self-isolating
- For patients with symptoms of or confirmed COVID-19 infection
- For patients who are at high risk of COVID-19 infection
- For patients who are worried about attending appointments or having visitors, or with heightened anxiety (video consultation maybe more reassuring than a phone call).
May not be appropriate
- Patients have complex clinical needs
- If we do not have access to the patient’s clinical records
- Physical examination is required
- The patient hasn’t consented to share their information,
- If we are unsure of the patient’s capacity to consent.
Patients who are otherwise well and in need of general advice will be assessed for self-management, video consultation and use of our online resources.
We will clinically assess your situation and make a clinical judgement if a remote consultation is suitable for you or your child.
Book a treatment home, school or community visit
To make clients feel as comfortable as possible, we offer home visits or arrange treatment at one of our community clinics at William Merritt Centre, Leeds, or a similar centre or location of your choice in your local community across the North West and Yorkshire, or we could arrange to see you at a suitable space within your community.
We appreciate our clients may have mobility restrictions and will always consider how to make consultations and treatments as convenient, time optimised and pain-free as possible. Community-based rehabilitation and integration back into the community is the key to any successful rehabilitation. Besides the benefit of a familiar environment and the discipline of following treatment plans within their own setting , community-based treatment enables the client to stay motivated while involving their family and friends.