23/03/2020
๐๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ท๐ข๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด:
๐๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐-19 ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐บ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐บ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ฌ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ.
At the moment we would like to address the following issues:
1. Circumstances where we wonโt provide in-clinic care.
2. The Patient Journey when we do provide in-clinic care.
3. Telehealth treatment available as an alternative.
4. Home workstation evaluation and advice.
5. Closing the clinic.
๐ญ. ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐๐บ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป-๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ:
- Anyone with symptoms of COVID19 โ fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, body aches, fatigue.
- Anyone who has arrived from overseas, off a cruise ship, or from NSW or Victoria in the last 14 days.
- Anyone in close contact with a confirmed COVID19 patient.
- Staff from Public Hospitals.
๐ฎ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป-๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ต ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐:
- Front door open so no need to touch handle, plus fresh air circulating.
- Wait outside or in your car if you wish.
- Wash hands with soap or use Sanitiser and rub hands thoroughly for 20 seconds on arrival.
- Move straight to treatment room or wait in another room to maintain separation at the front desk area.
- Use toilet at home before coming to avoid contamination in our shared block toilet
- Mostly using uncovered bed. Single use of linen or paper disposable bed sheet.
- Face cushion used on request.
- Purifas face protectors being used: non-absorbent soft plastic material and they extend through the face hole for additional protection.
- Hands-on treatment as usual, or not by request. Individual massage cream containers washed between use.
- Disposable latex-free gloves may be worn for some treatments.
- Staff hand-wash thoroughly between each patient contact.
- Surfaces wiped down with Milton Hospital-grade disinfectant (anti-viral protection) between each patient โ including front desk, treatment bed, chairs, exercise equipment. Glen 20 spray also used.
- Air purifier running 24/7.
- Prefer payment via cards to reduce cash handling.
- Wash hands or use Sanitiser again for 20 seconds on departure.
๐ฏ. ๐ง๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
We have analysed the software options available to us to continue to provide physiotherapy services without close person to person contact, and in the event that our clinic is closed. Commonly used video platforms such as Skype and Facetime are not considered secure enough for medical consultations.
Our interest is in software like Coviu and Physitrack (which offers telehealth plus video exercise prescription and outcome monitoring). We are setting these up and intend to be able to offer telehealth
consultations this week. Our Practice Management Software, Cliniko, is also working on a Telehealth application to be available soon.
Of course, Telehealth wonโt be suitable in some circumstances, but research shows it to be an extremely effective form of therapeutic intervention, especially when conducted by an experienced practitioner. The patient has more responsibility for self-management through exercises, self-massage, โmobilization with movementโ, and lifestyle adjustments. Improvements in outcome can also be gained by increasing the regularity of shorter contacts between patient and therapist via the telehealth portals.
Prior to COVID19, one issue that has held back the uptake of Telehealth in Physio has been the absence of rebates from Private Health Insurers, Workcover, CTP insurers, DVA, and Medicare. We are assured that our Australian Physiotherapy Association has been in discussions with these organisations over the past couple of weeks and the COVID19 situation may prove a catalyst for change in the coming weeks.
๐ฐ. ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ.
We have noted that most of our office worker patients have now started working from home. One concern we have is that many people do not have an appropriate workstation or ergonomic set-up at home, and this will lead to an increase in neck, shoulder and back pain. The Telehealth applications are perfectly suited to us being able to assess your home workstation and offer recommendations to best prevent these painful conditions. Ideally there will be a second person present to hold your phone or tablet so we can view you sitting in your position. You may find your employer happy to contribute to the cost, as a means of preventing a Workcover claim. Please call us to arrange a suitable time to conduct this consultation.
๐ฑ. ๐๐น๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ.
At this time the Federal Government prefers that allied health services remain open, as closures would result in a higher number of GP and Emergency Department visits when they least need it. Unfortunately we are not provided with any government-funded PPE to protect ourselves and hence we are sourcing (scavenging) our own supplies of sanitiser, hand wash, cleaning agents and disposable hygiene products. As a private business we may decide to close if we become uncomfortable with the risk of an unknowingly positive COVID19 case coming to see us, infecting our staff, and forcing closure for a period of time. As mentioned previously, we will be able to maintain a Telehealth consultation service if the clinic is closed.
We thank you for your ongoing support at this difficult time. If you have any questions please feel free to call or email us.
