[Interview] Vital & Clinic, Physiotherapist Center increases productivity by 60%

The exceptional circumstances in which we are immersed due to the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the digitalization of many facets of our lives, which have found great possibilities and advantages in offering and receiving services at a distance. 

Digital rehabilitation platforms such as ReHub, which we have developed at DyCare, offer not only a safe and effective alternative to face-to-face treatments but can also be a fantastic digital complement and ally that facilitates the daily work of physiotherapists and rehabilitation doctors. 

Physiotherapy centers like Vital & Clinic have recently opted for ReHub and tell us about their experience in this interview. 

What do you think telemedicine brings to physiotherapists? 

It brings many benefits, but among them, we could highlight: access to health services from anywhere, the immediacy, being able to continue providing the service in case of any unforeseen event, such as the COVID-19, cost reduction without lowering the quality of care and even increase it in some cases, and a long, etc. 

“Telerehabilitation is not a simple call. It is necessary to be able to receive objective information about the patient’s evolution”.

But we must also be clear that not everything is valid in telemedicine and telerehabilitation. It is something that goes beyond that, and we will have to create standards that really make telemedicine a quality service so as not to discredit it. It’s the same as teleworking, which is now so fashionable: it’s not the same as working from home. For example, in telerehabilitation, it is a vital condition that we can receive objective information about what the patient is doing and his or her evolution. 

How long have you been working with ReHub? 

We have been researching the world of telemedicine for two years, and we discovered ReHub a year and a half ago. We started working with the tool right in the confinement. 

What role does monitoring play in home-based rehabilitation? 

For us, it’s what really sets telerehabilitation apart. Any rehabilitation method that does not monitor, evaluate, and is able to follow up on the patient, does not contribute anything, since you lose control of your treatment, and therefore it cannot be called treatment. It will be something else, but not treatment. 

 “Any method of rehabilitation that does not monitor, evaluate and allow for follow-up of the patient does not contribute anything”. 

 

What are the benefits of using ReHub? 

ReHub helped us to increase our operations and the follow-up of the patients. Here is a list of the benefits based on our experience:

• Increase in productivity by up to 60%. 
• Cost reduction with effective treatments and optimized processes. 
• Monitoring of the entire rehabilitation process. 
• Increased patient to physiotherapist ratio. 
• Continuity of therapies in exceptional situations 
• Reduction of space requirements in the centers. 

What are the advantages for the physiotherapist and for the patient? 

The advantages that the ReHub platform offers to professionals are many. Here are some:

• Personalized treatment for each patient. 
• Easy tracking of patient progress (10 minutes/week). 
• Continuous monitoring of exercise performance and patient progress. 
• Continuous communication between physiotherapist and patient via chat or video call. 
• Possibility of having clear, direct, and effective communication channels that can increase patient loyalty. 

Regarding the patient's experience we have observed: 

• Increased empowerment and adherence to physiotherapy treatment.  
• A cost-saving: Access anytime, anywhere. 
• A reduction in recovery time. 
• The safety of always being connected to the professionals through the platform. 

It is important to design a personalized rehabilitation? 

The importance of personalized and customized treatment is the increase of effectiveness and efficiency of the treatment, so it also improves the fidelity to such therapy, and above all it empowers the patient to a better recovery, incorporating the active therapeutic part that the platform offers.  

How important is it to measure patients’ adherence to treatment?

It is important because it will allow us to have feedback from the patient in case of not being adherent. Through chats or video calls, we can communicate with the patient and generate a motivating message that allows us to redirect the therapy, improve the results of the same and accelerate their recovery.    

What do you think the physical therapy of the future will be like? 

The physical therapy of the future, which for us is already a present, will be a mixed model of physical therapy, based on face-to-face therapy in the centers, at home, or in any space dedicated to physical treatment, together with online rehabilitation that the patient himself can do at home, at work or in any place and at any time of the day. 

This will produce multiple benefits, not only for the patient but also for the therapist and for the centers themselves. 

“The physical therapy of the future will be a mixed model of physical therapy, based on face to face therapy along with online rehabilitation”.

 

Would you recommend our digital rehabilitation platform to other physical therapy centers? 

Absolutely. We recommend this type of tool, and specifically ReHub since it has changed our care model and our business model: we have improved the effectiveness and efficiency of the treatments with our patients. In addition, and above all, we have the possibility of being able to continue with the therapy of our patients in exceptional situations and even with those who are very itinerant, thus increasing their loyalty and improving their recovery. 

Telerehabilitation, a bet on the future that is already a reality 

For physiotherapy centers like Vital & Clinic, betting on platforms like ReHub means entering fully into the future of telerehabilitation.  

Even having clear the importance of presence and direct contact with patients, whoever tries ReHub can experience today the many benefits of home-based digital solutions, which are key to more effective treatments.