Imagine this: you’ve just had a knee replacement. You know that getting moving again is essential to a successful recovery, but every appointment means finding transport, taking time off work and losing half a day to travel and waiting rooms (maybe a couple of days for some parts of Aus!). For many people, that becomes a major barrier.
Now imagine being able to complete your entire rehabilitation process from home, on your own schedule, while still having access to qualified professionals and structured support. That’s exactly what telerehabilitation offers, and according to new research, it delivers equivalent outcomes compared to standard care. In some cases, it even does better.
The Evidence Is Clear — Telerehab Works
A landmark 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine analysed 42 clinical studies involving more than 4,200 people with musculoskeletal conditions such as joint replacements, osteoarthritis, and spine pain. The findings leave little room for doubt: telerehabilitation deserves a place at the table when it comes to musculoskeletal rehab, with clear benefits in pain reduction, physical function and quality of life.
(Image below obtained from article)
Even more compelling, the review showed that in certain groups, telerehab outperformed traditional care. For example, people recovering from hip fracture experienced significantly better gains in mobility and in their ability to manage daily activities when their rehabilitation was delivered online. The review also found that for individuals undergoing joint replacement surgery, telerehab was just as effective as in-person programs at restoring everyday function – one of the strongest indicators of successful recovery and readiness to return to work.
These findings challenge the old assumption that rehabilitation must be delivered face-to-face to be effective. They show that what really drives recovery is not where the program is delivered, but how consistently and effectively it’s delivered.
Why This Matters to Insurers
For insurers, these findings are more than just interesting – they’re economical. Every claim represents a complex web of costs: wages, rehab costs, medical, travel costs, lost productivity, delays in return to work and the administrative load on case managers. If a rehab approach can reduce these costs while achieving the same (or even better!) outcomes, it’s a clear win.
The review found that telerehabilitation delivered an average saving of $89.55 per participant compared to standard in-person care. While that figure may seem small on an individual level, when multiplied across dozens or hundreds of claims, it becomes substantial. Consider an insurer managing 500 musculoskeletal claims a year. Based on this data, switching those clients to telerehab could represent over $44,000 in direct savings – before even considering the indirect financial benefits of faster return-to-work outcomes and reduced travel reimbursements. And that’s not theoretical: the same review showed participants saved an average of 4.5 hours of travel time across their rehabilitation journey. Less travel means fewer scheduling delays, less fatigue and fewer missed sessions – factors that all correlate with improved outcomes and reduced risk of relapse or chronicity.
This combination of equal clinical outcomes and measurable cost efficiencies makes telerehab a powerful solution for insurers looking to optimise both the quality and the economics of their rehabilitation services.
Telehealth Rehab at Specialised Health
Telehealth rehab is woven into our framework at Specialised Health, and we see firsthand how it provides opportunities for engagement that face-to-face rehab cannot. Many clients report feeling more comfortable exercising in their own home environments and appreciate the flexibility it provides. Without the burden of travel, time is reclaimed for both the client and the EP – making the service more accessible and fostering stronger engagement throughout the program.
It’s not just anecdotal – these benefits are echoed in our own data at Specialised Health. Since its inception in 2021, our data shows comparable or even superior results for changes in certified hours, PSFS scores (self rated function) and RAND scores (wellbeing).
You may be thinking – what about the benefits of face to face interaction for building rapport and connection with clients? We also offer hybrid programs, offering the best of both worlds.
A Smarter Path Forward
The message from the latest evidence is clear: telerehab isn’t a compromise, it’s a proven, efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional in-person rehabilitation. Research shows that for conditions like joint replacements, osteoarthritis and back pain, it delivers equivalent outcomes without the burden of travel. And for hip fracture recovery, it may even offer better results.
With our range of Telehealth program options, we’re putting this evidence into practice – helping clients return to work and life faster, while helping insurers cut costs, reduce complexity and achieve the outcomes they’re aiming for. It’s time to rethink rehabilitation not as a place you go, but as a service that meets people where they are – and gets them where they need to be.
Check out our range of programs able to be delivered via telerehab here.
References:
Molina-Garcia P, Mora-Traverso M, Prieto-Moreno R, Díaz-Vásquez A, Antony B, Ariza-Vega P. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telerehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2024 Feb;67(1):101791. doi: 10.1016/j.rehab.2023.101791. Epub 2023 Dec 20. PMID: 38128150.
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