Your trial compared two different approaches to providing a home exercise program after a bone or soft tissue injury of the wrist, hand and/or fingers. What are some examples of the sorts of injuries that the study participants had?

Like many businesses, Sydney clinic Physiocise had to reassess its services during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as restrictions tightened across the nation.

This surge in digital connectivity is uniting physiotherapists, researchers and patients like never before. The use of telehealth to provide group exercise classes for those with Parkinson’s disease has proved an invaluable tool for clinician and patient, writes Denis Giguere.

CONTROLMYWEIGHT

Developer: Calorie King Wellness Solutions

Where to get it: Apple app store

Price: Free

ControlMyWeight is an Apple-compatible app that makes weight loss easier for users using a food and exercise diary.

The number of health apps available to download from the Apple and Google app marketplaces has recently exploded, with more than 300,000 now developed.

This is not surprising given advances in technology and innovation, increased capital investment, the consumerisation of healthcare, and widespread community access to smartphones.

The first project was research into telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and thanks to many of you, we have more than 170 physiotherapists participating with fantastic results to be shared early next year.

The post-COVID-19 private practice will look considerably different for many clinics, and technology will have an evolving role in the practice of the future. This month, Stephen King joins the APA in presenting a webinar on how to embrace the technological changes for a better client outcome. 

When Stephen King and his business partner Andrew Lemon opened their suburban Melbourne physiotherapy practice in 2016, a key foundation of the clinic’s operation was the uptake of technology.

PT GONIOMETER

Developer: Mark Busman

Where to get it: Apple app store

Price: Free

The PT Goniometer app helps physiotherapists digitally measure the range of motion of their patients’ movements over a given period, utilising the iPhone or iPad camera.

Recently we have seen an emerging number of studies that support virtual physiotherapy; for example, an NPJ Digital Medicine study published in January suggested health apps add value to patient care while used in clinical workflows.

However, there is a limited amount of evidence supporting a small number of apps for defined clinical scenarios, despite a high adoption rate with consumers.

PHYSIOPEDIA

Developer: Physiopedia Plus Limited Where to get it: GooglePlay store or Apple app store

Price: Free or US$0.99 monthly subscription for the premium version

The Physiopedia app claims to be the ultimate reference tool for physiotherapists.