Frequently asked Questions
Does this programme REPLACE going to the physiotherapist / biokineticist rooms or someone coming to my home?
It might, but we believe that a hybrid model of in-person and remote care is the most effective. This means that the patient goes to the physio or bio practice when needed and stays at home when they can. A combination of live care (care while you do the exercises through telehealth and in-person care) and delayed, remote care has proven to be convenient and accessible while giving the best outcomes.
Is this programme just for care after surgery?
No, this can also be used for, amongst others:
- An aching shoulder
- Low-back pain
- A minor ankle sprain
- Recovery after a joint replacement, etc
How does the programme work?
- The programme starts with an online physiotherapist consultation, which is about 20 to 30 minutes long. If the physiotherapist finds that this programme is right for the patient, you will get:
- Daily exercises and tasks as part of a home exercise programme.
- Educational resources to view.
- Outcome measures to answer.
Communicating with the care team
The patient can text their care team securely any time, and they will get back to them quickly. The care team will also have live video telehealth calls with the patient and review their progress daily. The team will quickly (reactively and pro-actively) respond to any issues they see coming from the data the patient generates (pain scores, range of motion, compliance to the programme, questions and answers on surveys).
The follow-up video telehealth physio calls are very focused because they have all of the patient’s data at their fingertips by the time they call them. They will correct issues they see, introduce new concepts in the patient’s programme and tell them about major considerations based on the phase of recovery they are in. A patient will get an official, physio video call at least once a month, but ideally once a week or every other week in later phases of recovery. There may be interim video calls with the clinical team if they see something that needs correcting before the patient’s next official telehealth physio call.
How long the programme is
The length of the programme depends on the patient’s individual needs and if they are post-surgical, more acute or more chronic. It also depends on how the patient is progressing. The overall care plan is in four-week increments, with most patients needing one to four cycles of care depending on their condition and progress. For example, a minor ankle sprain will be 4 weeks, but a shoulder, rotator-cuff surgery may be 16 to 24 weeks in some cases.
Do medical aid benefits cover this treatment?
Currently, this solution is exclusive to Discovery Health Medical Scheme members. The scheme covers this programme from the member’s Medical Savings Account (MSA).
Can a patient use their local therapists on this platform?
During the launch, the programme will be staffed by hand-picked physiotherapists and biokineticists in the region. After the launch, we will open the programme up to qualified local and regional physiotherapist and biokineticist groups.
Does the patient need to be “tech savvy” to use this?
No, a patient does not need to be tech savvy to use this programme. We designed the programme to be easy to use, even if the patient has never used a smartphone or tablet before. The patient will need access to good Wi-Fi or cellphone service, and a fairly modern smart device (tablet or cellphone that is not more than five years old) that can run apps from the Google Play Store or the Apple iStore. The platform itself is all about connecting the patient to their programme and to their remote clinical team. We’ll launch a webpage version in 2024.
What should I do if I am interested in learning more?
You can reach out to Discovery Health through the internet or your app for more information and access codes for launching our programme!
What should I do if I am interested, but not a member of Discovery Health Medical Scheme?
We will keep your name and email on file and as things progress we will reach out to you.