Telehealth Use Yields Successful Post-Op Physical Therapy Results

A pilot study conducted by Intermountain Healthcare finds that telehealth can potentially replace in-person visits for post-operative physical therapy.

The study by the Salt Lake City-based health system focused on 51 patients receiving a hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement between 2013 and 2019, who were divided into three different groups for post-op physical therapy. 

The first group did most of their physical therapy visits through telehealth, with at least two required in-person visits for follow-up care at two weeks and three months after surgery. The second group used the same physical therapists for six or seven in-person rehab treatments, while the third group had a full series of in-person treatments but with different physical therapists.

The patients used an online questionnaire to rate their pain level and ability to do certain activities. According to Intermountain researchers, all three groups reported the same high-quality outcomes as a result of the rehab services.

“We conducted this research pre-COVID-19 and when telehealth became more widely utilized, many had questions if it would be as effective,” James Wylie, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Intermountain and principal investigator of the study, said in a press release. “The results highlighted the essence of value-based care, bringing the same health outcomes for less money,” he added.

The researchers further found that connected health visits were more cost-effective than in-person treatment. 

Over three months of therapy, billed costs for patients using telehealth amounted to $1,015.67, while those using in-person services cost the system between $1,555.62 and $1,896.83. 

“In-person therapy visits are likely to include billable procedures beyond exercise and patient education, which increases the total cost,” Jenny Marland, a physical therapist at Intermountain and co-author of the study said in the press release.

This, in turn, makes telehealth more cost-effective and value-based, researchers said, since those in the telehealth group could access education resources online on their own time and weren’t billed for extra services that didn’t affect outcomes. 

The platform is also more convenient, particularly in allowing access to care for those who can’t easily access in-person services or spend a lot of time and money getting to a clinic.

“We work with patients who live in remote areas where access to physical therapy is limited and miles from their home,” Marland said in the release. “This is a promising step in making sure people can get high quality care no matter where they live.”

Recently, federal officials donated almost $13 million to help healthcare providers use telehealth to address rural health disparities. Some of the barriers that rural communities face in accessing care include a lack of social services, economic status, community infrastructure, and access to specialty services. Other barriers faced by patients include a lack of transportation or simply not having a healthcare provider close enough to home. 

The Intermountain study adds to a growing body of evidence that telehealth can be integrated into a care plan to replace some in-person visits, giving patients more leeway to access care at home while still producing strong clinical outcomes.