Telerehabilitation and telemedicine have been around in their current form for over 20 years, but are still considered a new concept.

As the name suggests ‘tele’ refers to ‘over distance’ and the initial method of communication was the telephone. Nowadays, high speed connections and web cameras mean that the ability to perform thorough assessments and guiding treatments remotely is extremely viable and highly effective.

Many of the conditions typically seen in a clinic setting face to face with a physiotherapist are now possible to treat using modern technology. Many health care professionals are incorporating telemedicine and telerehabilitation into their practice from GPs to psychologists, dietitians – and now physiotherapists!

The benefits to the patient are:

• Convenience and privacy of the appointment in their own home
• The possibility of seeing a therapist at all for some people in rural and remote locations
• Saving travel time to and from a clinic
• Being able to see a certain expert who is not in their geographical location
• Flexible clinic hours
• The ability to be assessed very quickly post injury
• Allowing a different kind of access to health care for people who otherwise would not have chosen to visit a physical clinic
• Excellent patient satisfaction demonstrated in clinical studies
• More cost effective, in some situations