With recent changes to the way we interact with one another in order to reduce the spread of Covid-19, many healthcare practices have had to think outside the box to continue providing care to their patients.
We are no different!
Here at The Footcare Clinic we have introduced a new way of interacting through telehealth. This is great for people who are unable to physically attend an appointment. In addition, there is a large range of evidence which suggests that positive outcomes from telehealth consultations can be as good as attending in person.
Telehealth: What is telehealth?
Telehealth is the use of digital information and communication technologies, such as computers and mobile devices combined with the use of the internet, to access health care and exercise services from anywhere. It provides you with the ability to still receive specialist health care without the need to travel or even leave your home.
Telehealth: What are the benefits of telehealth?
- Telehealth is easy to use
- It improves patient access to health care
- Our fully qualified podiatrists will be able to get clarity on your injury, get you out of pain and create a treatment plan to get you back doing the things you enjoy and love
- Your progress can be managed and monitored remotely by any health care professional
- It reduces travel, time and inconvenience for families, carers and health professionals
- If you forget to bring anything to the appointment (e.g. shoes) you can easily grab them as you will most likely be in the comfort of your own home!
Telehealth: Why is telehealth important for you and your feet? 
- One outcome of COVID-19 is the requirement of self-isolation or quarantining. Although essential and important during this time, it unfortunately leads to people not being able to seek help from specialist and health professionals. If you and your feet are in pain, this can make it difficult to get treatment! Telehealth enables patients to access podiatry from anywhere, without leaving the house.
- Podiatry telehealth appointments allow you to get a diagnosis, learn about your condition and what to expect, and receive a personalised treatment plan.
- You can also have a chat with your podiatrist to review the outcomes of your treatment – we’re thinking of the long-term outcomes for you, not just one-off consults
- Telehealth provides a great opportunity for our podiatrists to deliver an individualised treatment plan, with the ability to link it to an online exercise program, giving you explanations and videos of how to perform particular exercises.
- Telehealth provides you with the vital connection between yourself and your podiatrist to help educate and assist you from the comfort of your own home.
Telehealth: How do I organise telehealth from my home?
- To make the appointment it is very simple. Just like booking a normal podiatry appointment, you can either call the clinic (03 9711 7562) to arrange the appointment and time, or you can book online.
- Here at The Footcare Clinic the online video calls are simple to access and require no software to be downloaded beforehand.
- Generally, the essential things you need at home include:
- A computer or mobile device
- Make sure your computer or device has external sound
- Make sure your computer or device has a camera
- Reliable internet connection
- Prior to the appointment you will receive instructions on how the consultation will run, and will receive a link to click on at the time of your appointment allowing you to connect with your podiatrist.
We understand that an appointment via the internet may seem a little bit odd at first. There is a common misconception that you need hands-on treatment to feel better. However, we now have extensive health research that shows we can help you achieve great results without putting a hand on you. Our team will work together to reach your goals. An online consultation via telehealth is ideal for anyone experiencing any foot, ankle or lower limb pain.
Believe us, we would love to be able to treat you face-to-face if we could, we love seeing our customers and catching up with them. We miss you all! In these times, however, if you are unable to come into the clinic for treatment we can still keep continue your care virtually through telehealth.
For any further questions feel free to contact us at the clinic.
