With the epidemic of lifestyle health problems primary care professionals are now seeing careful consideration is required in how people are advised at these first meetings. GP’s (family doctors), nurses, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and the emergency department, are seeing millions of people all over the country. For those who require physiotherapy, this first meeting presents an opportunity for practitioners to constructively challenge a patient’s lifestyle choices and introduce a rehab programme immediately. With primary care professionals requiring the widest scope of healthcare knowledge, it is difficult sometimes to know where to start when offering advice on exercise.
“With primary care professionals requiring the widest scope of healthcare knowledge, it is difficult sometimes to know where to start when offering advice on exercise.”
Rehab Guru works closely with doctors in primary care and physiotherapists in emergency departments to find how outcomes and working practices can be transformed with our exercise apps. The public is happy engaging with exercise apps confidently which has created a feeling of expectation. So finding a healthcare professional who has engaged with technology and meets the patient’s expectations of high quality healthcare can create an immediate rapport and connection. Alternatively, a therapist who is still using paper will confront a patient’s expectations in a negative manner and the reputation of the therapist will reflect this. Using such apps could also be the extra encouragement a patient needs who may otherwise feel nervous about exercising.
“Using such apps could also be the extra encouragement a patient needs who may otherwise feel nervous about exercising.”
It is common for people to experience pain occasionally and this will often ease over a few days or weeks. They do not always need a referral to a physical therapist, surgeon or consultant. The right advice will see these people maintain or increase their activity levels; perform some useful exercises (to ease their pain and aid their recovery), while feeling more confident about their health. The wrong advice will see these individuals lose fitness as they rest, develop poor beliefs about activity and pain, while their bodies become stiff and weak.
Rehab Guru currently allows physical therapists to send rehab programmes to people who have attended the emergency department (ED). Likely causes for their visit could include ankle sprains, back pain, whiplash or shoulder dislocations. For those lucky enough to see a physiotherapist, after being triaged, their treatment starts immediately — which is essential for a person’s recovery. Alternatively, patients who are sent to a doctor are more often than not sent away from the ED with crutches and medication after an ankle sprain or a sling and analgesia after a shoulder injury. There is an opportunity here to do much better.
The feedback from the doctors we work with in remote areas is compelling. The GP’s assess the patient, and with our app, are able to advise on a programme of exercises to help the patient straight away. As a result, they are seeing considerable improvement in symptoms. Rehab Guru exercise programmes have been specially created by experts in their field, and the programmes are helping people who may have to endure months of waiting before they see a physical therapist. So imagine what outcomes these people can achieve by the time they see the physical therapist, and the speed at which they recover. The GP’s who utilise Rehab Guru are so impressed with the results they are encouraging all their colleagues to do the same. A powerful change is occurring.
This change in practice is happening for many types of healthcare professionals all over the world. Chiropractors, osteopaths, GP’s, physical therapists and nurses all possess the power to affect change now rather than later. At Rehab Guru we appreciate all the courageous health professionals who are taking this step with us. Our goal is simple: to ensure as many primary care professionals join our movement to ensure people get better quicker.
David is a Physiotherapist who has been involved in Professional Sport, battlefield trauma, chronic pain and the NHS. He continues to work clinically alongside his development role in Rehab Guru. David is passionate about Health tech to transform outcomes for patients
