Teleassessment Methods in Orthopedic Rehabilitation

Telerehabilitation is the remote delivery of rehabilitation services through information and communication technology. Teleassessment is a new rehabilitation service method that allows assessment, consultation, therapy, and patient follow-up from a distance with the help of electronic communication tools. Among orthopedic diseases, musculoskeletal system involvement has become one of the most common problems in society. Assessment in orthopedic physiotherapy and rehabilitation applications is important in developing and monitoring diseases. Assessment is important to measure orthopedic rehabilitation practices’ effectiveness and obtain valid and reliable results. Teleassessment methods are becoming important in minimizing time and financial expenditures in orthopedic rehabilitation applications. Teleassessment applications have advantages such as reducing the risk of transmission during Covid-19, the possibility of remote evaluation of patients, and regular and timely follow-ups. It provides more patient assessment opportunities, especially for physiotherapists, as they do not have to go home. However, there are some limitations in teleassessment. Studies emphasize that synchronous and asynchronous teleassessments made with web-based video tracking applications and videoconferencing methods are important for follow-up. This chapter discusses current teleassessment approaches in physiotherapy applications for orthopedic diseases. This chapter will examine teleassessment methods such as range of motion, muscle strength, posture, and physical performance. In addition, mobility assessments in orthopedic diseases and teleassessment methods in survey/scale applications will be examined.