Here are 5 easy ways to digitize physical therapy, with the equipment you already have available in your center and without the need for new investments.
Digitization of physical therapy involves using technology and digital tools to improve efficiency, accuracy and accessibility of treatments and follow-up for patients. There are many ways in which technology is helping the performance of Physiotherapy, here we highlight some ideas that are already a reality in many centers.
How can we digitize Physical therapy?
Obviously, we find that many of the activities of physiotherapy have to be face-to-face and not everything can be transferred to the digital world. However, it is possible to benefit from resources that have never been as easily accessible as they are today. Here are some examples:
Online consultations or treatments:
By using videoconferencing platforms you can conduct online physical therapy sessions with patients. This allows for real-time communication and observation of the exercises and techniques performed by the patients. It can be an ideal complement to face-to-face treatment at the center. It saves time and travel costs, as well as greater adherence than delivering a simple sheet of recommendations or exercises.
There are numerous free applications that can facilitate video call communication, like Whatsapp, Skype, Google Meet, Zoom… They are great for facilitating interaction, but obviously they require a minimum knowledge of handling by the patient and of course a good internet connection.
Applications and exercise programs:
Provides patients with online applications or programs that contain specific and customized exercises that are specific to their needs. These applications can track patient progress and provide real-time feedback.
Most applications require internet connection, but with Rehametrics physical rehabilitation software, it is possible to install an offline version, which works without internet and allows remote treatment even without an online connection.
Using everyday items such as a computer and a webcam, patients can perform exercises at home, prescribed by the professional from the rehabilitation center. Subsequently we can access the records, view the recording of the session, the measurement of range of motion and many other data that will allow us to perform a complete follow-up. All this with the advantage of flexible hours and the convenience of working from home.
Virtual reality:
The use of virtual reality during rehabilitation sessions has been shown in numerous clinical studies to increase the patient’s active participation and thus improve outcomes.
We speak of Immersive Virtual Rehabilitation treatments when a virtual reality headset is used and the experience is completely immersive. The user puts on the headset and the professional externally controls the exercises.
With Non-immersive Virtual Rehabilitation, patients perform personalized rehabilitation exercises in front of a scree on which the avatar (the virtual representation or simulation of oneself) reproduces its movements and interacts with it through gamification techniques (games).
Research has shown that for motor learning and relearning to occur, changes in neural architecture must occur.
For this, therapy has to be based on:
- The performance of functional activities and exercises
- Based on repetition and intensity
- Scalable in difficulty
- Rewarding, motivating activities
- Performed over a sustained period of time
Virtual Rehabilitation allows us to design and develop exercises that meet these key principles described for motor learning and neuroplasticity.
Online education tools:
It consists of offering online educational resources, such as instructional videos and tutorials, so that patients can learn and practice exercises at home in an effective way. Each professional or rehabilitation center can design their own training. The time investment required to prepare these materials is unavoidable, but it is likely to be cost-effective over time if content is designed to be applicable to different patient profiles or to the most common cases.
Creating your own materials means more work, but it allows customization and total adaptation to the approach, values and philosophy of the center itself.
Automatic reports:
Reporting is necessary, but it takes time away from treatment and often becomes a tedious task. Patient registration systems are available to keep accurate track of progress and accurate tracking of progress and results. Thanks to a professional program, we can automate this work and also carry out a much more documented analysis.
This automatic quantification makes it easier for us to carry out clinical studies or simply to keep the patient and their relatives informed about the progress of the treatment. Digitizing physical therapy has many advantages and these are just a few of them.
Would you like to digitize your physical therapy clinic?
If you are a rehabilitation professional and you see the need to improve and update your service, but you can’t afford big investments, contact us now and we will show you how to achieve it, using the devices you already have available in your center.
