We understand that in these times some people prefer to stay home and quarantine to stay healthy, especially those who are at higher risk for respiratory illness complications. While we are following safety precautions to keep our facilities clean and socially distanced for the safety of our patients and staff, we know many of our past and future patients are not yet comfortable leaving their homes. Our vision has always been to provide personalized care to every patient, every day, so we have adapted to provide our services from the comfort of your home through Telehealth services.
What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth, also called telemedicine, is a way to experience health and wellness appointments from home. Telehealth is a virtual appointment with your healthcare professional, who you visit by signing onto an online call rather than physically seeing someone at a healthcare practice. Most practices now offer telehealth to provide continuity of care throughout the pandemic. For Advantage Therapy Centers, we originally saw patients only through Telehealth until our reopening. Now, Telehealth is a supplemental option for patients who do not feel comfortable leaving home for anything, including their health. Telehealth allows patients to still receive the quality care they need to manage their conditions, without having to leave their homes.
Is Telehealth Treatment The Same As In-Person?
Our mission is to strive for excellence by providing the best possible care for patients. During the pandemic, we have continued to strive for that goal by quickly adapting to be accessible via Telehealth. While there are adjustments to make this possible, the quality of care, overall program, and the benefits of the therapy sessions have not changed. Rehabilitation still includes education, exercise, social services resources, and breathing techniques for pulmonary patients. There are only two main differences between the at-home and in-person programs. First, most patients will work with only one therapist. For our In-person services, our rehabilitation program consists of a team of different specialists who work together on a treatment plan for every patient, and patients spend parts of sessions with each team member. Patients are still given the same education on their conditions and exercises to build strength specific to their needs and goals, only one therapist will be working with them directly and they will consult other team members when necessary. In some cases, multiple team members are still assigned to patients and sessions will include separate calls. This is based on the individual needs or complications of a patient’s condition and will be evaluated during the Telehealth Questionnaire before scheduling. The other difference is how patients do the required exercises for their rehabilitation, which requires adapted exercises for patients who do not own the same equipment available in our gym.
How Do I Exercise From Home And Is It Safe?
Telehealth requires working with what patients have available in their homes. Most patients do not have the same exercise resources available at home as in a therapy center, and so exercises are done with equipment the patients have available. Sometimes this even includes household items that can work as replacements for that equipment. In other instances, items like Therabands are sent to the patient’s home to accommodate. Safety when exercising through Telehealth is our top priority, which is one reason we have questions and requirements before patients can be scheduled for Telehealth. One of those requirements is that telehealth patients purchase a pulse-ox and a blood pressure cuff so that therapists can get patients’ heart rates and oxygen levels frequently during the session. Telehealth also utilizes video chat so that therapists can see how patients are doing the exercise to make sure it is done correctly. Exercises are light to moderate intensity and constantly supervised. If you have more questions about our telehealth program and safe exercising, please contact us to learn more.
How To Schedule A Telehealth Appointment
If you are interested in Telehealth for Physical Therapy, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, or Occupational Therapy, please call the number listed at the bottom of the page for your preferred facility. You will be asked a few questions to evaluate if our Telehealth program is right for you and to ensure there are no internet or technology barriers. We offer both in-person and Telehealth services; however, Telehealth is in limited availability and we prioritize scheduling telehealth for patients who do not leave their homes. Call us to find out our Telehealth appointment availability. After our questionnaire, we can contact your physician for a script and schedule your appointment with us.
