Make the Most out of Your First Telehealth Visit
If you have ever been to the doctor’s office, you know how much of a hassle it is. From the time spent on the phone to schedule your appointment, traveling to the location, sitting in the waiting room and then finally being called back, waiting again in the exam room, for a total of 5 WHOLE MINUTES with the physician when they finally walk in the room…
I don’t know about you, but I find this so frustrating! Time is precious. I recently read an article that said the majority of people spend, on average, 2 hours of their time on waiting and traveling to their first doctor’s visit. This is a HUGE barrier for most of us. Not to mention if you live way out in the boonies and have limited access to healthcare services!
Luckily for us, TELEHEALTH is here to stay!
At Wildflower Physical Therapy & Wellness, telehealth visits are a quick and easy way to get answers without leaving the comfort of your home. Let’s be honest, putting off your health is easy to do. I am guilty of it just as much as the next person! However, with the option to speak to a qualified doctor of physical therapy, without the wait and travel time, and for a reasonable cost?! It’s a no-brainer. There is NO EXCUSE to live in pain or to delay your healing and wellness journey.
With that being said, I have developed 3 easy-to-implement steps to ensure your first physical therapy visit goes off without a hitch!
1. Dress for success
This one is important… because you will not be meeting with your therapist face to face, it is crucial we can see the body part being assessed. This means if you are having knee pain, make sure to dress in shorts or pants that can be rolled up to physically show your knee so we can assess it. It is also important to note that your physical therapist will ask you to do some functional movements such as squatting, bending, jumping, etc. so make sure your clothing is functional AND comfortable. Nobody wants to rip their pants on camera!
2. Prep your space
I will start by saying this, your space does not have to be perfect! Choose a space where you have a little room to move around, and make sure there are limited distractions. If you already have a space dedicated to fitness in your house or garage, use it! This will allow you to have access to your workout equipment and demonstrate any movements to your physical therapist using what materials you have available to you.
If you will be in a larger space, or one with background noise, make sure to connect your device to headphones to improve the audio quality and ensure your therapist can hear you loud and clear!
3. Technology, technology, technology
This is the fun part! Technology is unpredictable, but there are many options to ensure a successful experience. You can use FaceTime, Zoom, or Google Duo for the video platform. You can use your phone or computer, but remember you will likely need to be moving around, so hands free is ideal. If you are using your computer with a front-facing camera this will not be an issue. If you prefer to use your phone, make sure you have a designated place to set it down so that your physical therapist will be able to see you move. You can buy a stand on Amazon or simply use a book or something sturdy.
Lastly, you will want to make sure you are connected to Internet, and you do not have anything streaming at the same time. Netflix, Hulu, etc. all take up a lot of space in terms of Internet speed, so if these are disabled, your video and sound quality for the telehealth visit will be MUCH BETTER!
Now that you have the steps in place to create an unforgettable first telehealth visit, what are you waiting for?! As I mentioned earlier, time is precious. Don’t waste time wondering what your life COULD be like. Instead, take charge of your health and BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION CALL with one of our qualified Physical Therapists to see if we would be a good fit!
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