Author: Darlene Sekerak
Darlene Sekerak, PT, PhD from UNC-CH and Don Shaw, PT, PhD from ECU shared the podium at the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association Fall Chapter meeting in New Bern, NC to present an update about applications of telehealth for physical therapy practice. The program included an overview of the history of telehealth, demonstrations of technology currently in use in North Carolina, legal and ethical issues associated with telehealth services, and a variety of project reports describing the experience of each presenter in telehealth training, research, and service delivery. Dr. Shaw shared applications for monitoring ECG and vital signs of patients while participating in home exercise programs using plain old telephone (POTs) lines. Dr. Sekerak provided an update of the TelAbility Training- Allied Health project and a pilot study of validity and reliability of observations of motor skills via videoconferencing using a broader band H.323 platform. The eager and enthusiastic participants discussed the future of telehealth and the exciting opportunities for using telehealth technologies in service delivery, especially for extending services to many very rural communities of North Carolina.
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