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14th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH), 11th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy (IFSHT)

17.06. - 21.06.2019, Berlin

Virtual Therapy Visits – Can We Provide High Quality Therapy to Underserved Communities Via Telehealth Technology?

Meeting Abstract

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  • presenting/speaker Kerstin Palm - Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston, United States

International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand. International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy. 14th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH), 11th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy (IFSHT), 11th Triennial Congress of the International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy (IFSHT). Berlin, 17.-21.06.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2020. DocIFSHT19-1080

doi: 10.3205/19ifssh1585, urn:nbn:de:0183-19ifssh15854

Published: February 6, 2020

© 2020 Palm.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Clinical issue/s: The World Health Organization and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists have both identified significant global deficits for skilled rehabilitation clinicians, as well as a significant and expanding need for skilled therapy services [1], [2]. Given emerging technologies, including telehealth platform technologies for virtual visits, can therapy services - physical therapy and occupational therapy - be effectively delivered to remote geographies utilizing this technology?

Clinical reasoning: I will present our pilot study on the delivery of skilled rehabilitation services for post-operative surgical upper extremity patients via a virtual care platform. I will discuss the successes and challenges associated with this model.

Innovative, analytical or new approach: The use of telehealth technology to complete skilled therapy intervention via virtual visits to patients in remote geographies.

Contribution to advancing HT practice: Contribute to the wellbeing of the global population by expanding access to highly skilled clinicians for patients in geographies currently underserved in health care specialties such as orthopedics.


References

1.
WHO. Rehabilitation 2030 – A Call for Action. Meeting Report. 2017. Available from: http://www.who.int/disabilities/care/Rehab2030MeetingReport_plain_text_version.pdf External link
2.
WFOT. Resources. 2019. Available from: https://www.wfot.org/resources External link