A Warrnambool resident has launched an Australian-first online physiotherapy clinic in a bid to help ease shortages in regional and rural Australia.
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Director Eloise Simpson said she started Connect Physio Co to bring more experienced physiotherapy skills into regional and rural areas to meet the huge demand.
She started her own private physiotherapy practice in Warrnambool prior to COVID-19 but a lack of childcare and the pandemic saw her wait list blow out by three months.
Ms Simpson came up with the idea of a 100 per cent online appointment-based clinic via telehealth, similar to how medical appointments were held during the pandemic and found there were a number of physiotherapists looking for flexible or from-home options.
Patients can make a telehealth appointment for the review clinic at a time that suits or click on the urgent care clinic and wait in a virtual waiting room for the next available physio.
Ms Simpson said it was a unique care model for people who needed it regardless of their location and the team would consult with the person's regular physiotherapist or doctor to discuss any issues.
"We've got people who work for the Royal Flying Doctors and want to be able to work from anywhere," she said.
"People who've moved interstate to care for elderly parents, people who can't establish a case load or a job in one place. It's being run out of Warrnambool but we've got experienced physios all over Australia.
"There's men and women across a range of specialties - mostly musculoskeletal, sports and pelvic healthcare."
Ms Simpson said in Norway there were 24 physios per 10,000 people compared to 14 per 10,000 in a major Australian city, eight in regional Australia and four in remote areas.
"We just don't have the services and that was taken before COVID-19 because there's been a well documented mass exodus. Everywhere is struggling."
She said regional and rural shortages meant people were unable to access care when they needed it leading to an increased use of analgesia, more ED presentations, additional use of resource-intensive imaging and more complicated recoveries.
"They need help and it's either us or an emergency department," Ms Simpson said.
"They might be a long way away from an ED or they don't want to sit there for that long or they don't have access to physios where they live."
"Health professionals are really excited about it and people overall have been very happy. People who have been seen over telehealth are surprised by how much you can actually do because it's quite a novel thing."
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