The rise of technological advancements and telehealth solutions have impacted nearly every facet of the healthcare industry, including physical therapists and their patients. Patients now have more access to physical therapy services than ever before and they’re now faced with choosing whether to conduct their physical therapy services in-clinic or do them remotely with telehealth and virtual therapy offerings.
There are plenty of benefits and differences to both in-clinic physical therapy and telehealth physical therapy and knowing them might help you figure out which physical therapy option you should choose.
One of the recent advancements in healthcare technology has been the rise of remote healthcare and telehealth. Essentially, telehealth or virtual therapy is the act of providing healthcare services to patients across the country through technology or telecommunication software. The rise of telehealth has helped to connect patients with their doctors and healthcare providers in a time when we’re all mostly isolated or staying indoors due to recent events.
Telehealth and virtual therapy not only help patients connect with qualified healthcare professionals, but it can also help their healthcare providers provide better care by granting more connections and access regularly with their patients in a time when patients are putting off their routine visits due to safety concerns.
Telehealth and virtual therapy can come in a variety of forms but it can be boiled down to real-time video conferencing technology and patient tracking software. The real-time video conferencing allows both patients and clinicians the opportunity to connect and conduct a routine visit regardless of where they may be, and the patient tracking software helps healthcare professionals have all the information they need to track a patient’s progress, understand their ailments, and plot their path to recovery.
In the realm of physical therapy, virtual therapy is giving physical therapists and their patients the opportunity to connect and provide real-time physical therapy services from the comfort of their own home. Patients no longer have to visit one of the hundreds of in-person clinics to get access to physical therapy services.
There are several key factors that differentiate in-clinic physical therapy and virtual physical therapy that all patients should know about. These key differences include the type of exercises that can be conducted, the physical location where you will have your PT session, the types of equipment that will be used, and the process of providing the care to each patient.
The exercises you perform at home might be more creative than the ones you would perform in one of our clinics. For instance, instead of using traditional weights as you would in a clinic, you might use more creative solutions like soup cans for weights instead.
While some of the exercises you conduct in-person at one of our clinics will also be low impact, we do provide some more strenuous physical activities that are designed to strengthen your muscles and put your body through rigorous activity depending on the treatment program. For instance, your physical therapist might want you to use our weights at one of our clinic locations. For those that prefer virtual therapy at home, our therapists will work with patients to find items around their house that can help with therapy.
The next key difference between in-clinic physical therapy and telehealth physical therapy involves where your actual physical therapy session will take place. The key difference is that you won’t have to drive to one of the in-person clinics and instead can do everything from the comfort of your own home or remote location.
The types of equipment you use throughout your physical therapy session could also widely differ depending on the type of physical therapy session you choose. For instance, your physical therapist might want to do some unique treatments or specialized programs that can only be done in-person. In addition, you might not have some of the equipment that would be beneficial as you go through your physical therapy sessions. Some of these beneficial equipment items that you could use during your in-person PT session includes exercise balls, elastic bands, and more.
The process of providing care to physical therapy patients can differ depending on whether or not the session is virtual or in-person. When a patient does virtual therapy, they’re able to connect with their physical therapist remotely and go through the session without any in-person contact or instruction. Each patient is instructed through video conferences that are conducted after logging into the secure platform. Whereas in contrast, whenever you visit one of our locations, you will go through the visitation receiving in-person instructions and don’t have to worry about making sure you’ve got a stable connection or enough space to conduct the exercises.
The thing to note with this difference is that while the process of providing care might vary due to the location, the level of care doesn’t change. At Results PT, our focus is always on putting the patient first, and our approach doesn’t change whether you’re getting a virtual physical therapy session or you’re visiting in-person. Our physical therapists will always provide comprehensive evaluations, education, and guidance as you go through your physical therapy treatment program, regardless of whether you’re virtual or in-person.
Visiting one of our in-person clinics to get a physical therapy session provides many fantastic benefits that include greater access to equipment, getting in the right mindset for our PT session, and in-person connections.
As you go through your PT sessions, it might be beneficial for you to use some equipment to conduct certain exercises, engage certain muscles during stretches, and more. As we’ve outlined above, while you don’t need them during your physical therapy session, your physical therapist might believe they could help you as you go through the treatment program and recovery process.
Each one of our clinics is well equipped and stocked with equipment that will help you engage the proper muscles, increase your range of motion, and help to alleviate some of the pain you’re experiencing. When you visit one of our in-person clinics, you don’t have to worry about buying any extra equipment to conduct your PT session properly.
As we transition to a more remote and virtual society during recent events, one of the problems that can occur is the inability to appropriately separate our mindset during different activities. In the same way that it can be difficult to ignore the television while you’re getting work done at home, it can be difficult to focus on your physical therapy session when you’re doing it at home.
When you visit one of our locations, you can ensure that your mindset is on the right track and you can avoid many of those common distractions that can occur when you’re conducting a physical therapy session at home.
One of the best things about visiting one of our in-person clinics is that you get to meet and interact with many of the people who make Results Physiotherapy great. Connecting and building a relationship with your physical therapist remotely or virtually can be difficult, but not impossible. If you find that you would rather develop a relationship and social connection with your physical therapist as you go through the treatment program, you might find that visiting an in-person clinic would be more beneficial in the long run. Patient safety is always at the forefront of what we do, and we’re actively taking steps to make sure that all patients feel safe and welcome during these difficult times. You can learn more about the steps we’re taking.
Telehealth physical therapy provides many benefits to those who are looking for an alternative to in-person PT sessions which include the ability to access physical therapy anywhere, convenience, easier access, access to the latest emerging technology, and more.
One of the best benefits of telehealth physical therapy is that they allow you to get your PT sessions done anywhere you’d like. You can choose to do them in your bedroom, living room, or garage as long as you have a reliable internet connection and enough space to perform some of the exercises and stretches.
The ability to conduct your physical therapy session wherever you’d like also helps patients feel like they’re more comfortable during the session. If you feel like you’d be more comfortable with an at-home physical therapy session, then you should consider choosing remote virtual therapy for your next PT session.
At Results, we try to offer as much convenience as possible for patients to get the PT care they deserve including offering hundreds of locations close to patients, but if you’d like to have even more convenience you should consider telehealth physical therapy. It can be incredibly convenient to attend and go through a physical therapy session without having to wait in traffic or schedule a PT session in your busy schedule.
With telehealth physical therapy, you have the benefit of scheduling a PT session whenever it fits your schedule, and you don’t have to stress out about missing an appointment because a surprise meeting popped up at work or something else got in the way.
Direct access and emerging technologies have made it easier than ever for individuals to connect with physical therapists and receive the physical therapy care they need. It has never been easier to connect with remote physical therapists and network with others through the internet, as roughly 313 million individuals now have access to the internet. In addition, dozens of states now have direct access which allows for patients to seek physical therapy services without the need for a referral. For individuals who live in a state that grants direct access, patients no longer have to wait to get a referral before they can see their physical therapist, and instead can connect with them instantly.
Emerging technology that is specifically designed to monitor a patient’s progress remotely is helping both patients and physical therapists improve their physical therapy outcomes. Some of the emerging technology that is being used for telehealth physical therapy provides benefits to both clinicians and patients.
New technology now allows physical therapists to track activities, patient progress, performance, and exercises. The barriers to tracking a patient’s progress and the outcomes no longer need to be in-person, and can all be done virtually.
Whether you want to conduct your physical therapy session in-person or virtually, Results Physiotherapy has you covered. There are benefits to both in-clinic PT and telehealth PT, the choice comes down to personal preference and the treatment you need. Schedule your next physical therapy session today!
