Important Telehealth Information
Tēnā koe,
Thank you all for the calls and emails about the COVID-19 Alert level 4 and what this means for you as a physiotherapist and your provision of physiotherapy services.
The environment is ever-changing in Aotearoa New Zealand so keep checking the websites of the Physiotherapy Board, MOH and PNZ for updated information.
The following is a guide that will assist you to ascertain whether you can provide physiotherapy services and some considerations to help you mitigate risk.
The Telehealth Standard definition:
“Telehealth is the use of information and video conferencing technologies, to deliver health services and/or transmit health information to a patient when the clinician is in a different location.”
This means using available technology when you are not seeing your patient/ client face to face. This can be undertaken via telephone, video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype or Teams, or via electronic record practice management system (e.g. Gensolve ).
It is preferable that platforms which have both audio and video capabilities are primarily used however we are aware in the current Alert level situation this is not always possible, and that phone may be the only option. The platform which you use for telehealth must still be one approved by any third-party insurer.
It is important to inform and record the appointment appropriately within your notes including consent gained to use telehealth.
Use of Telehealth and Essential Service flow chart
* MOH Resources for Health Practitioners available here
# COVID-19 Face to face patient contact register available here
If you have difficulty reading the chart above a PDF version is available for download here.
Other Telehealth Resources
- You will need to consider patient preference and how a remote consultation can be achieved. The ability to be able to use any one / two that cross over apple and android would be best…..or the ability to use all 4.
- The Board’s telehealth standard is here
- Please refer to Risk Management For Skype Use For Clinical Video Consultations.
- Here is the link to the AHANZ telehealth guidelines.
- The service needs to meet Physiotherapy Telehealth Standard.
- ACC expectations are that telehealth services will be via videoconferencing as this type of capability is integrated into many practice management systems and many people have smart phones.
- ACC’s reference for tech used and security is existing guidelines as per NZ Telehealth Forum and Resource Centre.