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Development of a teleconsultation system for communication between physiotherapists concerning children with complex
L Engbers1, H Bloo, R Kleissen
1Roessingh Research and Development, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Insights
Email-based teleconsultation effectively facilitated communication for pediatric complex movement disorders. This system proved valuable for interinstitutional consultations, despite some technical challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Telemedicine
- Clinical Communication
Background:
- Interinstitutional communication is crucial for managing children with complex movement and postural disorders.
- Existing communication methods may present challenges in timely and effective information exchange.
- Telemedicine offers potential solutions for bridging geographical and institutional gaps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a low-cost, PC-based teleconsultation system for interinstitutional communication.
- To assess the utility of email and videoconferencing for discussing pediatric complex movement and postural disorders.
- To gather user feedback on the system's clinical utility and areas for improvement.
Main Methods:
- Four pediatric physiotherapists across three institutions participated in the study.
- Both email with attached video recordings and real-time videoconferencing were tested.
- The system was used to consult on 20 pediatric cases with movement and postural disorders.
Main Results:
- Videoconferencing was largely unsuccessful due to poor video quality from low-bandwidth connections.
- Email with attached video recordings proved successful for case consultations.
- Therapists found the email-based system effective in clinical practice for managing complex pediatric cases.
Conclusions:
- A PC-based teleconsultation system using email and video recordings is a promising tool for interinstitutional communication in pediatric complex movement disorders.
- The system supports structured communication for patient referral and treatment decisions.
- Further improvements in system speed and reduction of technical errors are desirable for optimal implementation.
Abstract:
We investigated whether a relatively low-cost, PC-based teleconsultation system could be used for interinstitutional communication about children with complex movement and postural disorders. Four paediatric physiotherapists in three different institutions participated. Both email and videoconferencing were tested. Videoconferencing was unsuccessful, as the low-bandwidth analogue lines, used by the majority of the therapists, made the quality of the realtime video-images very poor. However, email with attached video-recordings was successful and the therapists used the system to consult each other about 20 cases. The therapists regarded the system as effective in clinical practice. However, some improvements would be desirable, such as making the system quicker to use and reducing the number of technical errors. Nonetheless, structured communication between physicians about complex postural and movement disorders appears to be promising both for patient referral and for decisions concerning treatment.
