For anyone managing injured worker claims and care, the inability for injured workers to receive the care they need for an indefinite amount of time is deeply concerning.

That’s why, in the wake of widespread concerns in relation to the pandemic, telemedicine is stepping up to the plate.

In this Risk & Insurance feature, MedRisk COO Mary O’Donoghue discusses telehealth and the shift to digital care. From physical therapy appointments to making sure medical devices are working, these programs have helped keep injured workers on track to recovery.

“Continuity of care is very important, and that’s one of the things that we try very hard to make sure that we are focused on,” said O’Donoghue. For the past three years, MedRisk’s telerehab program, for example, has leveraged a hybrid model that combines in-person visits with video conference visits. So, during this time of the coronavirus, they have been able to adapt their existing services to provide workers with an opportunity to continue their care, despite the concerns about going to physical therapy centers. In addition to the adaption, initial visits are now available through telerehab with 7-day, 12-hours-a-day access.

“Through the telerehab process, our goal is to improve function and independence through guided exercises,” O’Donoghue continues.

“After the visit, we upload all of their exercises, instructions, videos into the patient portal. So at any point after the visit, if they can’t remember specifically how certain exercises are supposed to be performed, they can just get into their patient portal and all that information is available to them.”

While this model is especially beneficial in today’s time of social distancing and quarantine, the shift to telemedicine may continue even after COVID-19 ends. In fact, O’Donoghue points out that “on average, about three less PT visits take place per episode when you go with the hybrid model.” This is thanks to the flexibility and resources that telerehab offers to patients.

So, if there’s one silver lining of this crisis, O’Donoghue offers this: “I hope what comes out of this is heightened awareness and recognition of the value telemedicine overall can play as a part of our healthcare system in general.”

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