The Covid-19 pandemic forced people and businesses globally to evaluate how things have always been done and made what was once considered ‘impossible’ possible. For example, businesses who had previously told their employees that working from home was not an option, swiftly changed their policies to support this so that business could continue. The same level of agility was applied in healthcare settings, with telehealth services being introduced quickly so providers could continue to deliver urgent and timely healthcare services to people who were unable to access it in person.
It’s interesting that the concept of telehealth isn’t new though. It’s been around for over a decade and has only recently become more mainstream due to the demand throughout the pandemic. Telehealth is a topic that Amy Vincent, Director and Occupational Therapist at The Therapy Collective, researched with her peers and published the findings in a medical journal back in 2013.
What did they discover, well before the COVID-19 pandemic and when technology to support telehealth was still emerging?
- A high level of accuracy and reliability was observed for the telerehabilitation assessments performed in the study, compared with face to face assessments
- The ability to record patients performing various tests provides scope for performance to be viewed multiple times leading to a more accurate assessment
- Having a carer or family member present with the patient would be helpful to aid in communication with the treating clinician
- System factors (in 2013) could be improved (ie. audio and video)
View the research in full here.
Fast forward to today. Technology is more accessible and the quality of video-conferencing is greater and more reliable. Telehealth has seen a dramatic shift from what was initially viewed by many as a temporary solution to become a widely accepted, viable delivery model for patient and client services anytime.
Our Medicolegal and Assistive Technology services are available via secure video telehealth and clients can easily book online.