Virtual Assessment of Musculoskeletal Conditions: Helping Clinicians Optimize their Practice

Overview

So many people experiencing musculoskeletal (MSK) related pain and disability have difficulty attending medical appointments for a variety of reasons including inability to travel, costs, and caregiver/family circumstances.

Many of these people would benefit from receiving their care in their home or a local facility using virtual technology.

Over the last year, this need has increased as a result of COVID-19. People have been required to socially isolate and have been limited in their ability to attend medical appointments.

There is limited evidence on how to complete a virtual assessment for patients presenting with MSK conditions. There is, however, a lot of clinical experience gained by health professionals who have been assessing patients virtually.

This 60-minute online course will introduce a Virtual Toolkit that has been co-developed with clinicians who manage MSK conditions and integrates the latest information on virtual assessment.

The session highlights information from three tools: 

1. What is important when setting up a virtual assessment?
2. How to undertake a clinical assessment?
3. How virtual assessment can support evidence-based care post-COVID?

Who should attend?

Clinicians who complete assessment of patients that present with MSK conditions

What you will learn:

This online course is designed to provide clinicians with an understanding of how to use virtual assessment to enhance their clinical skills to inform treatment and highlight the opportunities for virtual care in the future.

Through this session you will learn:

• What you need to host virtual care and optimize your, and your patients’, experience
• How to prepare the patient and caregiver in advance to ensure a successful assessment
• How to set up your assessment including using the environment and subjective information to inform recommendations
• How to organize your physical assessment to optimize objective clinical information
• How to use your findings to develop a treatment plan including in-home treatments
• What models can be used to optimize the use of virtual and in-person care
• Additional tools that are available to support clinician learning, patient interaction, and measuring outcomes
• The benefits to clinicians and patients that can be leveraged post COVID.  

Virtual care is here to stay and should be leveraged in Canada to meet the needs of patients who struggle to attend clinical appointments allowing them to access timely care. 

Join this session and you will learn how to effectively grow your skills to meet the needs of patients beyond COVID!