Masterclass
Telehealth for musculoskeletal physiotherapy

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2020.102193Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Telehealth is a viable alternative to manage many musculoskeletal conditions.

  • COVID-19 has led to the rapid adoption of telehealth by many healthcare professions.

  • Telehealth should be implemented to meet specific needs of the healthcare service.

  • COVID-19 has cut through many of the traditional barriers to telehealth adoption.

  • Many factors need to be considered to implement a sustainable telehealth service.

Abstract

Introduction

Musculoskeletal conditions are a leading cause of global morbidity. Access to traditional in-person healthcare can be difficult for some under usual conditions and has become a ubiquitous barrier throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth, defined as the ‘delivery of healthcare at a distance using information and communication technology’ is a solution to many access barriers and has been rapidly adopted by many healthcare professions throughout the crisis. While significant advancements in technology has made the widespread adoption of telehealth feasible, there are many factors to be considered when implementing a telehealth service.

Purpose

The aims of this masterclass are to (i) introduce telehealth and outline the current research within the context of musculoskeletal physiotherapy; (ii) provide insights into some of the broader challenges in the wide-scale adoption of telehealth; and (iii) to describe a systematic approach to implementing telehealth into existing healthcare settings, along with some practical considerations.

Implications

Telehealth is a broad concept and should be implemented to meet the specific needs of a healthcare service. This masterclass offers a structured approach to the implementation of a musculoskeletal physiotherapy telehealth service, and highlights practical considerations required by both clinicians and healthcare organisations throughout all stages of the implementation process.

Keywords

Implementation
Musculoskeletal
Telehealth
Telerehabilitation

Cited by (0)

Michelle Cottrell: Michelle Cottrell is a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and was awarded her PhD from the University of Queensland for her doctoral thesis that investigated the implementation and evaluation of telerehabilitation, as an additional method of service delivery into an established tertiary-level physiotherapy-led screening service. In addition to her research focus in the field of telehealth implementation, Michelle is the Telehealth Coordinator at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (Queensland, Australia) Physiotherapy Department and has established telehealth services across a broad spectrum of clinical services provided by Allied Health practitioners.

Trevor Russell: Trevor Russell is a Professor of Physiotherapy and the Director of the RECOVER Injury Research Centre at the University of Queensland where he leads a stream of research on Telerehabilitation. He is a co-director of the Centre for Research in Telerehabilitation and co-director of the Telerehabilitation Clinic, both at the University of Queensland. He has a PhD in Telerehabilitation and has been conducting research in the use of digital technologies for both clinical service provision (telehealth) and teaching and learning in the rehabilitation sciences for the past 20 years. His work is amongst the earliest and most extensive in this field.

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