What is Telehealth?

Telehealth, or telemedicine, is a practice in which doctors and patients communicate through telecommunication (telephone, video chat, e-mail, etc.) rather than physically in person. The use of telehealth has been around since the 1950s, but its use is rapidly increasing with the spread of COVID-19 and the enforcement of social-distancing.

Most healthcare providers are making the switch to telehealth practices amid this pandemic, and patients are finding that not only is it more convenient, but they are now receiving an even higher quality of care.

How Does Telehealth Improve the Quality of Healthcare?

With telehealth, patients can receive one-on-one care with their doctors, just like they would with a regular appointment. However, there are some benefits to telehealth that one doesn’t necessarily get from physical doctors appointments. These are some of the ways that telehealth improves the quality of healthcare for patients:

On-demand care and treatment: With telemedicine, your physical therapist is only a click away. That means that if you’ve sprained or injured something, an appointment can be made almost immediately, therefore eliminating long waiting periods in which the injury can get worse. Doctors can assess, diagnose, and treat you all via telecommunication.

Efficiency: Telehealth appointments prove to be much more time-effective than regular appointments. There are no long travel or waiting room periods when you make a virtual appointment.

Remote/ Long-distance care: Patients who live in rural or inaccessible areas can benefit greatly from telehealth. Also, those who may be contagious can remain isolated, or those who are healthy can avoid the risk of exposing themselves to germs found inside a waiting room.

Reduced costs: Generally, costs are reduced with telehealth for several reasons. There is no need to take time off from work, and there are no travel costs. At-home virtual care can reduce the costs of hospital stays or patient transfers. Check with your healthcare provider if you have questions about insurance. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, insurance companies are expanding to cover telehealth at a rapid rate as most doctors make the switch.

Communication: Communication between patients and doctors and between rural doctors and specialists has never been as seamless and convenient as it is with the use of telehealth. Patients can get diagnosed and treated much easier and earlier with efficient communication between specialists and pharmacists.

Patient Information Access: Sharing medical information with your healthcare providers via telehealth is just as secure as it always has been. Doctors make use of specific, secure networks and often implement privacy policies that cover online sharing of information. Not only is your information protected, but it is far more accessible to you and doctors via telehealth. You can keep track of your appointments, medications, treatments, test results, image scans, and progress via patient portals provided by your clinician.

Physical Therapy with Telehealth

At MOTION, our version of telehealth, MOTION on the GO is specifically designed to ensure that you are still able to receive physical therapy while you maintain your health and distance. All you need is a smartphone or a computer and a WiFi connection.

At MOTION, we offer these services to all patients via telehealth:

Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Speech Therapy

Your online visit will be just like an in-person visit. You’ll receive the same attention and care that you always do from our staff.

At MOTION, our goal is to keep you healthy and moving, especially during this pandemic. Whether you’ve sprained something, recently had surgery, or simply want to keep up with your physical health, we are always available. For more information regarding telehealth or the services we provide, visit our website. Read what our clients have to say about the convenience of telehealth and make an appointment today!