About TeleHealth
Why Choose TeleHealth Care?
TeleHealth care is quick and convenient. Those who travel frequently or who have trouble fitting in face to face appointments will benefit significantly from online appointments.
You will save time by having your physiotherapy appointment conducted wherever you are, instead of having to get to the clinic.
Those who have difficulty leaving their homes or who are at risk in the community will particularly benefit from the privacy and safety that tele-rehabilitation offers.
With current technology TeleHealth is most useful in situations where exercise, education, self-management instructions and monitoring are the primary methods to use the therapeutic goals. With creativity, these forms of therapy are fairly easy to adapt to the virtual environment for many different conditions including acute or persistent pain, sprains, strains.
*Note that at times TeleHealth may not be sufficient to fully address your goals and an in-person session would be more suitable to gather all the information necessary to meet your individual needs.
What is TeleHealth Appropriate for?
Most issues are appropriate for TeleHealth if more information is required from a physical examination your physiotherapist will discuss this with you.
Virtual care is particularly helpful when you require an expert opinion for acute injury management, to answer questions regarding your current treatment plan, to modify program you’re having issues with, or to progress exercises to continue improving.
Virtual care is appropriate for assessing new injuries. We will be able to provide you with the necessary advice and guidance on how to best manage your symptoms so you can feel better faster.
The service can help you access physiotherapy services that are not available in your community or allow for consultation between your physiotherapist and another health care provider.
There will always remain circumstances where an in-person visit is required but research supports the idea that virtual visits or TeleHealth can provide the same quality and address the same needs to the same level of care for MANY of the same conditions as would and in-person session. In fact, virtual care for recovery from hip and knee replacements has been shown to achieve very similar results compared to in-person physiotherapy.
How to Book Your TeleHealth Appointment?
You will need an internet connection, access to a computer, tablet or smart phone with a web/video camera enabled.
The following instructions will help you get the process started:
STEP ONE: Click here to book your appointment online yourself or, if preferred, we can help you; email us at info@balance-physio.com or call us at 778-379-4369. As soon as you book your appointment, you will be emailed your intake forms (if your first TeleHealth appointment). You will receive a second email before your appointment with a link to log into your appointment.
STEP TWO: Please take the time to complete the intake forms you will have received by email.
STEP THREE: At your appointment date/time:
Join via Email Appointment Reminder
You will receive an Appointment Reminder email sent to you by your provider 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. Click the button at the bottom of the email to begin.
OR
Join via My Account
Alternatively, you can access this same button by logging into your account by visiting the clinic's Jane site, using the Sign In/Sign Up button in the top right-hand corner. Once in your account scroll down to Upcoming Appointments and click on the Begin Button.
How to Ensure you Have a Great TeleHealth Appointment
– Have a private space free of distraction so you can focus on what you need.
– You have your camera set up in a location that allows you to move around and still be seen.
– You have clear audio (earbuds or headphones may be an option if you require clearer sound).
– If you don’t have a microphone on your computer, you can use your phone to call in to the meeting. The call-in audio is used in conjunction with the video from your device to ensure a smooth appointment.
FAQs Including How to Pay and Extended Health Insurance Options
1. Will my insurance pay for TeleHealth physiotherapy?
This is a fluid situation and is changing almost daily at this time. Our best knowledge to date is that most companies will cover TeleHealth physiotherapy:
- Canada Life
- Great West Life
- Sun Life
- ICBC
- RCMP
- all currently will pay for TeleHealth physiotherapy sessions.
- Pacific Blue Cross will currently pay if you are an existing patient.
- Desjardins will cover some people
- Greenshield is not currently covering TeleHealth physio.
We strongly recommend calling your provider directly to confirm if they will reimburse you for TeleHealth sessions as this information may have changed from the time of writing.
2. Do you direct bill to my insurance provider?
No, at this time direct billing is unavailable. Instead, we will email you a receipt with all the relevant information you need to submit your claim to your insurance company for your TeleHealth session.
3. How do I pay?
Payment is made at the time of your appointment by e-transfer to: info@balance-physio.com OR by credit card.
If you prefer to pay by credit card, your credit card number may be provided to us in one of two ways;
1- At the time of your appointment you can verbally provide the necessary information to your therapist
Or,
2- You may log into your Balance Physio account at https://balancephysio.janeapp.com/ where you can then add your credit card information; go to “My Account”, click on “Credit Cards on File”. After you enter your information, it will be securely stored and the number will not be visible other than the last 4 digits.
4. How do I know who to book with?
Balance therapists are all licensed to practice TeleHealth physiotherapy in BC. Click on the photo of the physiotherapist you wish to work with.
5. Can you treat everything via TeleHealth?
You can expect to receive the same exceptional care through our TeleHealth services as you would at Balance Physiotherapy. However, although many situations are served well with TeleHealth care, not everything will be appropriate. Your therapist will quickly be able to let you know if they feel they will not be able to help you using the TeleHealth format. They will then direct you to a more appropriate resource in your community (e.g. another health care profession), or if needed, will refer you to your GP to move you forward in your care.
6. No Show Policy / Cancellation Policy
We value each of you as individuals and welcome the responsibility and privilege to support you as your health care professionals. Our goal is to treat each client in a timely and efficient manner. With that as our focus we want to remind you of our clinic (in-person & virtual) policy concerning “no-show” appointments. Failure to appear for your appointment without previously contacting the clinic will result in you being billed via credit card on file for 100% of your treatment fee. We do have voicemail and email that we check regularly so you may leave a message anytime.
Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the therapists’ day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Patients who provide less than 24 hours notice, or miss their appointment, may be subject to our cancelation fee of $50 which will be charged to your credit card.