IS VIDEO PHYSIOTHERAPY EFFECTIVE?

Remote physiotherapy

IS VIDEO PHYSIOTHERAPY EFFECTIVE?

Remedi Physiotherapy & Acupuncture Ltd’s private practice software suite (WriteUpp) provides the utility to provide a platform for effective clinical assessments. WriteUpp is fully GDPR compliant and is also accredited to  ISO27001: Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements. Their certificate number is: 275372018. The video consultations and self-booking systems take place via this secure platform.Remedi Physiotherapy Southport Ltd is also fully GDPR compliant, being registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under number Z2018697.  Remedi runs all it’s digital activities (mobile phones, landline phones and computers) via a virtual private network. Our remote assessment for musculoskeletal disorders shows good concurrent validity and excellent reliability in most areas. Consulting by phone, we are able to modify our communication to counteract loss of visual bodily cues which would usually aid assessment, but in the main, most of our clients choose to be assessed and treated via video consultation, which aids in visual assessment. There is evidence of moderate to high agreement between remote and face-to-face examination in patients with low back pain and ankle disorders. Inter and intra-rater reliability are high and moderate, respectively, for knee assessment. Telehealth and in-person assessments, in an advanced-practice physiotherapy screening clinic, demonstrate a high level of agreement in relation to clinical management decisions and diagnosis in patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Further, research shows that video consultation is deemed acceptable to most patients.

REMOTE MONITORING AND REHABILITATION

We are delivering treatment interventions successfully via remote working. Patients with chronic knee pain, for example, report satisfaction with the patient-therapist relationship, the use of technology and the provision of exercises provided remotely. Our telemedicine is aided by the use of the Physitrack App, which is a suite of video exercises and advice, which has shown to significantly increase patients’ confidence in undertaking exercise and improve compliance and adherence to exercise-based rehabilitation programmes, compared to usual physiotherapy care. Physitrack provides images and videos of exercises, patient advice and education and includes reminders for patients to carry out prescribed exercise programs given by us, which can be remotely delivered and adherence monitored.  Physitrack combines education with appropriately timed reminders and exercise prompts. It uses “nudges” to positively transform behaviour and modify heuristics. Moderate-high quality evidence supports the use of nudges to improve self-management outcomes, including physical activity adherence. Physitrack can allow us to remotely monitor and supervise your rehabilitation, whilst at the same time promoting your self-management and empowerment. Physitrack is also GDPR compliant.

THE POST-COVID ERA

The step change in musculoskeletal care provision as an emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic has providedRemedi Physiotherapy Southport with an opportunity to redesign services within a new framework of innovative working practices that can extend beyond the immediate crisis. We have already initiated quality improvement initiatives in response to rapid deployment of virtual services due to COVID-19.

Our new working practices have the potential to enhance your personal choices and clinical efficacy. We employ detailed and careful evaluation of our new remote working practices in order to ensure patient safety, clinical efficacy and long term sustainability. As part of this process. we will therefore follow up your programme with a questionnaire asking you about your outcomes, satisfaction, clinical efficacy and feelings of safety.

We are evaluating our adapted services in line with how remote services in general practice are evaluated. Our initial phase of evaluation includes the administrative, technological and logistical feasibility of remote working clinics. Our evaluation model will be applied in two stages; both during this deployment phase, and subsequently in the development of new innovative clinical pathways for the longer term.

We want to demonstrate we have a mandate from our patients for provision of the new services and the patient experience will be fully explored.