Telehealth

Telehealth is the delivery of care across a distance via information and communication technologies. Telehealth can be used to provide rehabilitation (TeleRehab). Just like in-person rehabilitation TeleRehab can include:

• subjective interview

• patient assessment

• goal setting, and

• individualised exercises and rehabilitation tasks.

This model of care has multiple advantages including:

• enabling access to rehabilitation services

• reducing practical barriers like travel time and parking

• enabling rehabilitation to take place in the person’s own home.

TeleRehab allows us to maintain social distancing, and minimize the risk of disease transmission by keeping patients, families and clinicians safe while reducing the disruption for those receiving stroke rehabilitation services.

Telephone: If you need to monitor your patient's general wellbeing progress and engagement in an existing rehabilitation programme, picking up the phone is often the simplest solution. Text messaging (SMS) can also be used to support engagement and provide simple education. Telephone consultation maybe less fatiguing for the patient.

Videoconferencing: There are lots of advantages to being able to see and hear your patient. Video conferencing can be used to deliver a more comprehensive rehabilitation programme. For example, to observe function, perform assessments remotely or demonstrating and modifying rehabilitation exercises. Both business (e.g. zoom) and telehealth (e.g. Coviu, Vsee) platforms may have whiteboard, screen sharing and file sharing functions, which may be useful features in TeleRehab sessions.

Email and Web-based resources: If you don't require interaction consider sharing web-based links, video and pdfs of educational and rehabilitation activities via email or text. It is also possible to quickly develop and share video resources to groups and individual patients.

Telerehabilitation Platforms: There are a number of purpose built TeleRehab platforms.

How to set up a successful TeleRehab session?

These examples have been developed by NZ DHB rehabilitation teams:

Client telehealth brochure for use with smartphone or tablet : Auckland City Hospital

Zoom for android - Counties Manukau

Zoom for iphone - Counties Manukau