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Telehealth

Telehealth online video consultations are accessible for patients via their personal computer/laptop, and enables us to provide quality assessment and care to those who are in lock-down and prevented from having face-to-face therapies.

Telehealth services have been proven to be practically feasible and appropriate for support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our professional Allied Health Team are trained to assess, diagnose and treat each patient through professional advice, education, self-management techniques and the provision of a suitable exercise programs.

Patients participating in telehealth will consult, 1 on 1 with a therapist from the comfort of their own home. Patients will be provided with a personalised exercise program with easy to follow instructions as well as videos on how to correctly perform all exercises.

Our telehealth process

Traditionally allied health therapies have been seen as a very ‘hands on’ profession, however a lot of what we do is based around putting together the information you tell us, how you move and the appearance of the body part in question, so we can form a diagnosis.

Patients accessing telehealth through Westmead Rehabilitation Hospital will answer a number of background questions regarding their condition or injury prior to their online consultation so our team can begin the consultation with a thorough understanding of what each patient is experiencing.

Throughout and following the consultation, our therapists will provide education on how to manage symptoms as well as prescribe a tailored rehabilitation program to help patients regain their previous level of function.

What therapy I can access via Telehealth?

We currently provide telehealth consultations for the following services:

  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Therapy

How is Telehealth funded?

Funding for telehealth is currently provided through:

  • Some Private Health Funds (the admission criteria rules applies)
  • Workers Compensation / CTP Injuries
  • Private Health Insurance via your Extra Covers (subject to the fund and your level of cover)
  • Self Pay with Afterpay options available

How can I organise a Telehealth consult?

Those wishing to access telehealth at Westmead Rehabilitation Hospital, should contact our team directly on: 02 8833 3555.

Can Telehealth help me?

  • Telehealth modalities including the web, telephone and videoconference delivered to clients with cardiometabolic disorders such as diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and heart failure were found to significantly improve health outcomes.
  • A home-based exercise program lasting for 12 weeks delivered via Telehealth was found to be effective in increasing physical activity levels, elevating exercise tolerances and improving health-related quality of life.
  • Physical exercise interventions delivered via Telehealth show benefits in relation to reductions in pain and disability for those experiencing chronic pain conditions, comparable with usual face-to-face care.
  • More specifically, high-quality evidence shows that Telehealth was not different to other interventions on pain at long-term, physical function at short-term and long-term and quality of life at short-term and long-term.
  • Systematic reviews show that pain neuroscience education has clinically meaningful impacts on fear and pain catastrophizing. Effectively providing this education requires consistency in language, terminology and concepts used by health providers – and Telehealth interventions may facilitate this consistency.