So much of people’s lives are virtual these days. Movies are online. We use apps for social interaction. You can even use delivery apps to order groceries or food from a favorite restaurant. Now, there’s one more virtual service option you can add to your list: virtual physical therapy.
Virtual physical therapy is a type of physical therapy that takes place on an internet platform or app. It’s a part of a growing category of medical care called telemedicine, and virtual physical therapy is also called remote physical therapy or virtual care. Typically, telemedicine sessions take place over a real-time video link.
The increased need to avoid COVID-19 exposure might help you decide to use virtual physical therapy. However, there are some questions you might want answered before making a virtual care appointment. Here are some answers to three virtual physical therapy FAQs:
- How much will I pay for virtual therapy?
Patients frequently ask questions about the cost of virtual physical therapy. You might be surprised to learn that you could actually end up paying less for it. One study of patients doing virtual physical therapy after a total knee replacement (TKR) looked at costs. Its researchers report that the TKR patients who used virtual physical therapy saved $2,745 in rehab costs on average.
Virtual physical therapy care is covered by most major insurances in the same way as an in-person visit. Our team also accepts credit and debit as well as Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) payments for Medicare, Medicaid and self-pay patients.
- Can I use virtual physical therapy for post-surgical rehab?
Another frequently asked question about virtual therapy deals with post-surgical rehab. Patients who are recovering from surgery won’t benefit from stopping their rehab. But these patients can also be more vulnerable to COVID-19. Virtual therapy can allow such patients to continue their rehab from home, which reduces their risk of COVID-19 exposure.
In fact, studies show that patients who use telerehab do a better job sticking to their at-home exercise plan. One such study reveals that virtual therapy patients had an at-home therapy adherence rate of 80%. Traditional therapy adherence rates were reported to be between 35% and 70%.
- How satisfied are patients who use virtual physical therapy?
Questions about patient satisfaction are also frequently asked by patients considering virtual physical therapy. It’s natural to ask such questions. People are often skeptical of new ways of doing things. However, medical studies on telemedicine reveal little reason for skepticism in this case. One virtual physical therapy study shows that patients who used it reported a more than 91% satisfaction rating.
Find answers to more virtual physical therapy FAQs at Border Therapy Services
Want to find out more answers to virtual physical therapy FAQs? Our Border Therapy Services team is here to help. Our physical therapists can use virtual physical therapy sessions to help people with:
- Post-surgical rehab
- Chronic pain conditions
- Back pain
- Neck pain and headaches
- Work injuries
- New patient evaluations
Take the next step to start getting virtual physical therapy from us. Contact our team for more information about telemedicine today or to schedule an initial appointment.