Telemedicine is the use of technology to participate in healthcare at a distance, so you and your provider can connect from different locations. Most aspects of a medical visit are possible – including conversation, medical history, discussion of specific problems, treatment plan and even many parts of a physical or neurological examination. Telemedicine visits have been conducted for many years, but during the COVID pandemic, the use of telemedicine visits increased a lot.
Informed consent is necessary and ensures that you know the risks and benefits of telemedicine visits. The consent will explain the security of the visit and how your information will be protected. The consent can be a written form or obtained verbally at the time of the visit.
Telemedicine visits are useful but there may be a need for in-person visits. A more in-depth physical or neurological examination will require an in-person visit. For rehabilitation, a full assessment and determination of progress may be needed So, a combination of both inperson and telemedicine visits may be appropriate.