Telehealth: Current and future benefits
6
Health & Wellness
Spring 2020
BY DR. NICK HUNTER, PT
get the health care services they need without leaving the safety and comfort What is telehealth and why are we of their own home. hearing so much about it Could telehealth be benenow? ficial during the COVID-19 Telehealth is the use of pandemic and could it be electronic communication to something patients may acprovide health care services tually continue with when from remote locations. This things settle down? has been around for quite a Synchronous telehealth while. In light of the recomvisits allow patients remendations for COVID-19 al-time visual/audio conencouraging people to mainnection with a provider to tain social distancing and discuss their specific needs only utilize essential health and allow them to contincare services, some clinics ue or even start addressing NICK HUNTER have turned to only urgent or problems they may have emergent cases in person and lived with for a while now. performing other services via telehealth. More people are finding themselves This differs by state and between working from home, sitting more, doprofessions based on their federal laws ing different types of exercises than norand state practice acts; however, many mal and doing all those chores around states have loosened the rules during the house that you didn’t have time for this time to limit the number of people before the pandemic. However, people out and about. Telehealth allows those are also finding themselves with more who are worried about transmission to time as they take out long commutes,
Preferred Physical Therapist
Now Offering Telehealth! Are you less determined to focus on your health and well-being right now?
Of course not! Neither are we!
We are also as committed as ever to helping you make better decisions about your health. In the spirit of our mission, the staff here at Preferred Physical Therapy are keeping our clinic doors open to a limited number of appointments. What if you want to continue prioritizing your health AND are also practicing social distancing?
We have the solution for you! Preferred Physical Therapy is now offering TELEHEALTH visits! Attend a virtual appointment with one of our skilled providers!
We pride ourselves on delivering a standard of care in an environment that feels like home, where our patients feel valued and celebrated like family. If you are 40+, know that there are ways for you to stay active and independent, live free from pain killers and avoid surgery (even if you’ve had pain for years)…
All from the comfort of your home!
We’re here to serve you!
Call or text Preferred Physical Therapy TODAY at (623) 466-6448. To inquire about telehealth services To book your FREE telehealth or in-clinic assessment To speak to a physical therapist To schedule an in-clinic visit 18301 N. 79th Ave. B122 Glendale, Arizona 85308 Telephone: 623-466-6448 | Fax: 623-486-3355 | www.preferredptaz.com
The Preferred Physical Therapy staff before social distancing mandates. (Photo courtesy Preferred Physical Therapy)
pick up/drop off kids or have reduced work hours. This could actually be a great time to do something for yourself and get that nagging pain taken care of. Appointments from the comfort of your own home also allow the provider to make sure the exercises and stretches they are recommending will actually work in your home environment. In the clinics, therapists are spoiled with many different pieces of equipment and can sometimes forget that when patients leave their space they may not have access to items they need to complete the new exercises therapists showed patients that day. Telehealth visits allow providers to see the space patients will be performing their exercises in and what equipment or items they already have so they don’t have to buy new things, and to allow them to keep making progressions, even if they can’t get into the clinic because of COVID-19, child care challenges or other time constraints. It also allows therapists to see the setup of those who are working from home to help see if that could be contributing to discomfort issues or to help prevent any future aches and pains. Many patients think they are missing out on hands-on or in-person cues to help make sure they are moving their body correctly. And therapists get it.
This is commonly the primary reason people get treatment. The truth is, the hands-on portion is only intended to act as a supplement to correctly prescribed exercises. Certain conditions make this hard to perform on their own, but there are certain self soft tissue or joint mobilization techniques to help replace the hands-on portion therapists can teach during a telehealth visit. Also, this doesn’t need to be long term if the hands-on portion seems to provide relief. Some patients may find they like the convenience of these video assessments and exercise prescriptions long after the COVID-19 pandemic dust has settled. The world is likely to see long-term changes in the health care system from COVID-19, which hopefully gives patients more access to services in the future. Telehealth is a great choice right now as everyone tries to limit person-to-person contact to reduce exposure to COVID-19. Telehealth will also be a great choice moving forward for many patients who find they are limited by transportation, long work hours, child care, travel often, live far away from the clinic or live in a place with adverse weather conditions. Nick Hunter is a doctor of physical therapy and owner of Preferred Physical Therapy. For more information, call 623-466-6448 or visit preferredptaz.com.
