What is telehealth, telerehabilitation and/or virtual care?
Telerehabilitation is a subdiscipline of telehealth and involves any rehabilitation delivered using telehealth technologies such as videoconferencing, sensors, chat / text, educational portals and more. The most recognizable form of telerehabilitation is the reproduction of the one on one physiotherapy via videoconferencing, most commonly known now as “Virutal Care”.
What types of situations should physiotherapists use virtual care for?
With current technology and techniques, virtual care is most useful in situations where exercise, education, self-management instruction, and monitoring are the primary methods used to accomplish the therapeutic goals. With creativity, these forms of therapy are fairly easy to adapt to the virtual environment for many different conditions including postpartum rehabilitation, acute or persistent back pain, sports injuries, vestibular rehabilitation etc.
Virtual care for orthopaedic surgical recovery from total hip and knee replacements has been shown to achieve very similar results compared to in person physiotherapy visits. (1,2)
A quick chat with one of our Telehealth practitioners will quickly determine if this form of rehabilitation is appropriate for you.
Am I suitable for Telerehabilitation?
Watch a short Telehealth (virtual physio) session above to experience all that we can do by this medium. Actually, we can do much much more!
If you are a new client and do not have an account on our booking system JANE, then please email us at info@dianeleephysio.com to be connected to a Telehealth practitioner at Diane Lee & Associates or call the office Monday – Friday 7am-7pm 603 538 8338.
If you are a returning client, login to your JANE account at https://dianeleeassociates.janeapp.com/ to see the practitioners who are doing Telehealth sessions. If you have forgotten your username and password you can reset it on this page. Or simply click on your practitioner below to be taken to their online booking page.
If your practitioner is NOT available through our online booking site, this means that they are managing their caseloads manually to ensure Telehealth is appropriate for you. Email them directly through our team page here https://dianeleephysio.com/about/our-team/ to book a mutually suitable time. Alternately, they may recommend a Telehealth session with one of their colleagues at the clinic.
Success Stories
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the physiotherapy association of BC (PABC) and the regulatory college support virtual care?
Absolutely, when doing so is safe and in the best interest of the patient. PABC has drafted a position statement on telerehabilitation (pending adoption) and the college has provided various resources on the subject to support its use.
Is it technically complicated?
Not really. While you will inevitably encounter occasional difficulties (as we all do with technology), the general level of digital literacy you require to operate in society generally will allow you to participate in providing virtual care. Of course, you will learn more and encounter some frustrations as you engage this service, but as you do more it becomes quite easy.
Do I need to buy more computer hardware for virtual care?
In all likelihood, no. Most modern laptops and tablets purchase in the last few years will suffice, as long as they have a camera and microphone. Using a phone is not recommended for physiotherapy virtual care as the small screen size inhibits the visual observation of movement, etc. that is very important to assessment.
Will Virtual Visits be covered by 3rd party funders?
As telerehabilitation is relatively new it is best to check with your provider directly. According to the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia, Sunlife and Great Westlife extended benefits accept telerehabilitation. ICBC has also approved telerehabilitation in the short-term due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our policy with 3rd party funders remains the same, you pay us, we issue you a receipt which you then submit to your insurer.
- Nelson, M., Bourke, M., Crossley, K. and Russell, T. (2019) Telerehabilitation is non-inferior to usual care following total hip replacement – A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Physiotherapy, . doi:10.1016/j.physio.2019.06.006
- Cottrell, Michelle A., O’Leary, Shaun P., Raymer, Maree, Hill, Anne J., Comans, Tracy and Russell, Trevor G. (2019) Does telerehabilitation result in inferior clinical outcomes compared with in-person care for the management of chronic musculoskeletal spinal conditions in the tertiary hospital setting? A non-randomised pilot clinical trial. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, . doi:10.1177/1357633×19887265
Related Practitioners
Cathy Rogers
Cathy received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in 2000. As a member of the varsity women’s volleyball team at UBC during those years she was first exposed to physiotherapy and it’s positive impact on her own personal athletic career.
Leigh Fortuna
After studying kinesiology in university for two years, Leigh decided that pursuing a career in physiotherapy was the path she wanted to follow. She graduated from The University of British Columbia in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy.
Eric Perkio
Eric has been practicing Physiotherapy since 2006. He received his Masters of Physiotherapy from the University of Sydney, Australia and began his career working in a private clinic where he gained valuable experience in working with Rugby, Soccer, and Aussie Rules Football clubs.
Brittany Wade
Brittany graduated from the University of Ottawa with an undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics followed by a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto.
Judit Orban
Judit has a special interest in helping people with various spinal conditions such as back pain, scoliosis, kyphosis, chest conditions and spinal fusions.
Since graduating in 2010 from the Semmelweis University of Hungary, Judit has been working in various spine specific clinics around the world.
Sarah Hamanishi
Sarah received her Bachelor of Science with a minor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She then pursued a Master of Physical Therapy degree, graduating in 2013 from UBC.
Megan Davis
Megan graduated from the University of Ottawa, with a Master of Health Science in Physiotherapy and a BSc honours in Biomedical Sciences. She also completed her Master’s in French. Megan carries a wealth of knowledge from a patient perspective as she has worked hard to rehabilitate multiple injuries, as she has made it back to competitive powerlifting at the Canadian National level after hip surgery.
Cheri Le Cappelain
While working as a nurse Cheri saw the importance of physiotherapy on the rehabilitation ward to help patients regain their independence. As a result of these positive experiences she decided to go back to school to become a physiotherapist so she could have a more direct role in rehabilitation and help others regain their independence. Cheri graduated in 2018 with a Doctor of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Lily Han
Lily is passionate about assisting her clients in gaining and regaining their function. She obtained her Master’s of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Alberta. She has diverse experience within the healthcare field, including in diagnostic laboratory, pharmacy, medical first aid, and with other interdisciplinary teams allowing Lily to approach each patient’s condition holistically. Lily is fluent in both English and Mandarin.
Brennan Chan
Brennan is an energetic physiotherapist who cares deeply about his clients and their quality of life. He wants you to succeed in whatever you choose to do and he gets great joy seeing people accomplish their goals and from being a part of their journey.
Leanne Kitteridge
Leanne is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and has been teaching yoga since 2004. In 2006, Leanne became interested in Anusara Yoga®, a style of yoga that assisted with the healing of chronic pain issues in her shoulder.
