Tele rehabilitation: two-year experience in conducting medical assessments via tele link

Abstract

Telemedicine has been practised for many decades since initial documentation in 1940s when radiology images were sent between two townships in Pennsylvania via telephone lines. Bioinstrumentation and transmission of astronauts’ vital parameters to ground based flight surgeons came to forefront during NASA’s space programme in 1960s. During following decades, telemedicine was used in multiple medical specialties as a mode of patient assessment. Use of telemedicine in Rehabilitation Medicine is relatively recent. As multidisciplinary coordinated care led by rehabilitation physicians and allied clinicians is required, proformas are used in tele rehabilitation assessments. Proformas help to generate a clinical document with medical and allied health assessments in one clinical record. Currently, delivery of rehabilitation services is further empowered, enhanced and in evolution with the installation of dedicated software programmes for use by allied health clinicians. Most units operating tele medicine for rehabilitation medical services use trained proctor with the client/patient to enable more comprehensive examination to aid clinical decision when the physician is stationed in a distant site.