What is telerehabilitation?
Telerehabilitation is a form of telemedicine that allows you to provide remote rehabilitation services directly in the patient’s home or another location of their choice.
Telerehabilitation uses different types of telecommunications technologies, including videos, websites and computer programs to guide the patient in the type of rehabilitation required. The equipment, which the patient can use at home, can also be provided by the hospital or physician.
What does it involve?
Telerehabilitation requires the physician to set a series of goals for the patient, including physical movements, physical exercises or mental exercises, using a variety of devices, programs and computer applications to guide the patient. The apps often feature interactive videos that allow the physician to monitor the patient’s health and development.
This technology is particularly useful for patients who have difficulty getting to the hospital or clinic for rehabilitation because they live in rural settings or because their health does not allow them to travel.
Telerehabilitation allows patients to take control of the healing process and manage their medical needs, as appropriate. This allows the physician to use a more personalized approach to care, as rehabilitation is created specifically for the patients, their needs and abilities.
Why is it done?
Telerehabilitation is a broad-spectrum approach to providing rehabilitation for patients with multiple conditions. It is most often used to provide physical rehabilitation for patients who have suffered strokes, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, multiple sclerosis, among others.
Other forms of telerehabilitation, not only physical, include speech therapy (speech and language therapy), audiology and neurophysiology. It is already applied in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and neuropsychology.
Preparation for telerehabilitation
The patient will be required to have access to the internet and a device with which he/she can connect to telerehabilitation.