Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 14, Number 2 > Pp. 83-87

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hoffmann, T. Articles by Russell, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

RESEARCH Original article

Pre-admission orthopaedic occupational therapy home visits conducted using the Internet

Tammy Hoffmann ^*  and Trevor Russell 

^* Divisions of Occupational Therapy; Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Correspondence: Dr Tammy Hoffmann, Division of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia (Fax: +61 7 3365 1622; Email: t.hoffmann{at}uq.edu.au)

We evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of conducting occupational therapy home visits using the Internet. Studies were conducted at the homes of 40 patients who were scheduled to undergo a total hip or knee replacement: home visits were conducted, on the same day, by both a face-to-face therapist and an online therapist. The online therapist conducted the visit via a low-speed, dial-up Internet connection using a specially developed telerehabilitation system. This system combines real-time videoconferencing (320 x 240 pixel resolution) with a suite of calibrated assessment tools which the operator can use to measure real-scale angular displacement/velocity and linear distances during the videoconference. Both therapists completed a home environment questionnaire, assessed patients' transfer ability and measured the heights of six objects/pieces of furniture. For the questionnaire items which related to variables in the home environment, the mean percentage exact agreement was 98.9% (SD 2.6; range 90–100), while there was 100% agreement on the items related to transfers. The mean absolute difference in measured heights between the two therapists ranged from 0.1–3.3 cm. The results suggest that conducting pre-admission orthopaedic occupational therapy home visits via the Internet is both feasible and accurate.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?