Telehealth simply means the use of telecommunications technology in healthcare.  At Weymouth Physiotherapy this really means using video calls to assess you.  This may seem a little strange at first but really it is no different to having a facetime conversation with a friend, it soon feels natural.

It is only slightly different to an in person assessment.   We still take our time to discuss your problem with you.  We still ask you to do certain movements whilst we observe how you do them.  The one real difference is rather than doing tests on you we instruct you how to do certain tests on yourself, again under our watchful eye.

Diagnosis is no different, in truth 90% of our diagnosis comes from listening to you.  The history of your symptoms and their behaviour of your symptoms can tell us far more than any individual test we may ordinarily perform.  It is likely we have seen your problem or a similar many times before and our experience allows us to pick out patterns.

In terms of treatment, obviously there is no hands-on.  This is fine, in truth we don't do much hands-on at the clinic anyway as explained on our treatment page.  What we can achieve in a 30 minute appointment once or even twice a week pales into insignificance versus what you can do to help yourself for the rest of the 167 hours.  We therefore make sure you fully understand your problem and what YOU can do to help it.

What sort of people use telehealth at Weymouth Physiotherapy?

Our telehealth is used by a wide range of different people.  Some of our patients tell us they are just to busy to attend an appointment and they do not have time to travel.  Others' just like the ease of staying at home and the comfort this brings.

We have also treated patients who live a long distance from the clinic but have heard good things about us (from friends or relatives) and want to benefit from our services without having to travel.

We also get a lot of people who have dependents (children, partners or relatives) and therefore they cannot always leave the house.  On the flip side we also get people who are sadly unable to leave the house due to mental health or physical problems.

What type of conditions can telehealth treat?

In all honesty, almost all conditions can be diagnosed and treated through telehealth.  From acute injuries to persistent pain problems, from tendon issues to bone, problems with the spine or problems in your legs, arm issues, feet issues, telehealth can help you.  For more information on your particular condition click here

There may be occasions when telehealth isn't appropriate and we need to arrange a in-person assessment.  This would be if we were suspicious of anything more serious such as fracture or things more sinister such as cancer.  However things like this are very rare and we will rule these out when we talk to you before booking your appointment and advise you accordingly.

It really is very easy to get starting with a video appointment at Weymouth Physiotherapy.

First get in contact with us to arrange an appointment, we like to discuss your problem with you a little to make sure we are right for you and that a telehealth consultation is the right option for you.

Once we have organised a time for the telehealth appointment it really is simple.  We have deliberately it simple for you.  Many other clinics use free software for their telehealth which means you often have to download or sign up to somthing.  However we at Weymouth Physiotherapy appreciate that not every one is tech savvy or have concerns re: online privacy we have therefore invested in software which means you do not have to download anything or sign up to anything.

Simply, once you have an appointment we send you a link to our waiting room.  At the time of your appointment all you need to do is click on that link on your phone or webcam enabled computer and enter your name.  When we are ready, we connect the call and away we go.  It really is as simple as that.  The video below takes you through this process in the eyes of a patient.

What equipment do I need?

All you need is an internet enabled phone or computer which has a self facing camera and a microphone.

Are the calls recorded?

The calls themselves are not recorded and so you can be assured they will not appear elsewhere.  We do however record our own notes based on what we have discussed / observed.

Is it secure?

The apps we use are secure and meet the necessary criteria for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations).  It is however only as secure as the hardware (phone, computer or tablet) you are using.  We therefore recommend you have anti-malware, anti-spyware and/or antivirus in place.