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5 Things for Patients to Know about Video Consultations

For many of us, having any type of video consultation for a health or injury issue is an unknown and completely new thing. And what about a situation where you are used to seeing a clinician in-person where they may lay hands on you as part of assessment and treatment?

Well, below are 5 common questions and answers on video consultations that patients ask.

1. Is my injury suitable for a Physiotherapy Video Consultation?

Most musculoskeletal Injuries that you would see a Physiotherapist for in-person are suitable for Physiotherapy video consultation. If you are unsure whether your injury is suitable for a video consultation, give us a call and we can talk it through with you.

2. How can a Physiotherapist diagnose my injury if they haven’t even touched me?

Like in-person consultations, a video consultation starts with a ‘subjective assessment’, where we will ask you a bunch of questions related to your injury and history. This information is gathered before we even lay hands on you. By the end of the subjective assessment, we will already have a clear idea of what your diagnosis is.

We will then get you to do some functional movements as well as direct you to palpate the area of injury to confirm the diagnosis. If ever unsure of your diagnosis, we will not hesitate to refer you to an in-person Physiotherapist or a medical doctor (if the issue turned out to be medical in nature).

We will then establish a plan for rehabilitation with you and get you started on our exercise app!

3. How can a Physiotherapist treat me without touching me?

Most people’s traditional view of Physiotherapy is that it involves “hands on” treatment. In reality, this is a portion of what Physiotherapists do to assist with injury management. Educating you about your condition, identifying contributing factors from your lifestyle, as well as instigating a structured and tailored exercise program, are some of the most important things we can do for you and your injury.

Over the last decade, Physiotherapy has adapted from a reliance on complex machines and manual techniques, to include rehabilitation programs carried out under guidance. This puts you in much more control of your own recovery. Whilst many injuries can be adequately managed by Physiotherapy via video consultation, some conditions do require ‘hands on’ assessment and treatment. All of our clinicians work in private practice, and will advise if your injury requires further in-person investigation and/or treatment.

4. You have given me exercises to do but I’m not sure I’m doing them right?

Ah huh! This can always be a challenge, whether you are seeing us in-person or through a video consultation.

This is where an awesome Exercise App (used via your smartphone or via pdf print out) we have been using since 2016 comes into play – TrackActive. It has photos, videos and the numbers and instructions you need to keep on top of your exercises. You can even log your progress and set reminders to do your exercise!

5. Do I need a referral to use the service and can I get a health insurance rebate for a Video Consultation?

Great news! You do not need a referral to have a video consultation with Construct Health or any other Physiotherapy provider.

Private Health Insurance companies may provide rebates for Physiotherapy video consultations. Ask your private health insurance provider if they do this. You will be provided with a receipt to your insurance company after your video consultation.In these rapidly changing times, it is important that we continue to commit to our health and use technology to assist in doing so. That includes getting your injuries seen to quickly so you can get back to normal function, even if you don’t want to (or can’t) see a Physiotherapist in-person. Physiotherapy video consultations are one such solution to this!

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