Expanding Pediatric Physical Therapy
Through Telemedicine
Project Background: Everywhere you look, you’ll see signs for physical therapy, but the vast majority focus on services for adults, not children. As for providers that do specialize in children, research has shown that most revolve around children with autism. As a result, children with actual physical disabilities that require long-term care are often forced to obtain treatment from their local childrens' hospital, severely limiting care for those who live elsewhere.
During the COVID-19 shutdowns, physical therapists were forced to switch to a new tactic: telemedicine. While not simple due to the breadth of services these children may require, such as orthotics and prosthetics, manual manipulation through massage and stretching, and specialized equipment, this project took a deep dive into the pediatric physical therapy landscape and how we might be able to expand this invaluable service to children everywhere, regardless of access, scheduling, costs or location.
Problem: How can we use telemedicine to provide families who have limited access and availability with appropriate specialized pediatric physical therapy services?
Process: My children have physical disabilities and receive regular physical therapy through the school district. In March 2020 they switched to virtual sessions via Google Hangout. I conducted multiple observations of the therapist’s sessions with each of my children and also an informal interview to discuss their care. I also conducted a series of co-design workshops with my children to explore a therapy kit using various objects and an exercise regimen using a set of hand-made exercise cards.
Design Solution: Created new service called PTKids Teletherapy, aimed at providing pediatric physical therapists and parents with the resources they need to ensure that children with physical disabilities get the care they need in a virtual environment. The service revolves around three basic components: a specialized physical therapy kit, secure remote sessions via a website/mobile app, and parent/child exercises via exercise cards or Alexa.
