In a post-pandemic world, telehealth remains convenient for both patients and providers despite the concern of contracting COVID-19 growing smaller. But why is that?
Telehealth patients can cut the time spent on their appointment to a fraction of a traditional in-office visit by eliminating travel time and in-office waiting. Although COVID-19 is less of a concern for most populations now than it once was, mitigating the risk of spreading or contracting any sickness is of course still a factor.
In addition to being convenient for patients, providers see benefits on their side as well. Virtual care reduces the number of canceled appointments and lowers overall costs. According to Lindsay Boyers of VeryWell Health, “At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the overall no-show rate for in-person visits was 9% prior to the pandemic. It was 12.2% for Medicaid patients. Once telehealth was implemented, those rates dropped to 5.8% and 9.6%, respectively.”
The number of telehealth offerings has grown exponentially in the last two years, with almost any service accessible virtually now. PT Genie is just one example. An article from VeryWellHealth by Lana Barhum expands on arthritis care offered via telehealth. “New research about telehealth in rheumatology is positive. It shows that it is most effective for people who are already diagnosed and living with an arthritis condition. One study reported in 2020 in the journal Arthritis Care & Research found no difference in the quality of care or treatment outcomes in people who received in-person care only versus a mix of in-person and online care.”
Although some technological access limitations remain, the increase in telehealth use has benefited both patients and providers, even post pandemic.
About PTGenie
PTGenie enables a combination of traditional in-person care; virtual customized physical therapy sessions; and remote patient monitoring that is provider monitored, offering real-time corrective feedback. Providers access patient data through an all-inclusive rehab platform to view compliance, functional improvement and recognize areas that need to be addressed. The analysis of patient data enables providers to compare various protocols for the same conditions so that best practice rehabilitation models can be identified and leveraged for patients and providers. Practices can leverage PT Genie’s network of PT/ATCs or utilize their own team. For more information, please contact sales@ptgenie.com.
