SUPPLY CHAIN & SUSTAINABILITY
Dr . Heidi Jannenga , co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of WebPT , explores the future of telehealth in rehab therapy , the role of diversity & secure data
WRITTEN BY : HELEN ADAMS
2 % of physical therapists provided telehealth consultants before the pandemic
Pre-pandemic , only 2 % of physical therapists had provided telehealth consultations . But since the onset of the pandemic , WebPT has helped physical therapists in the U . S . conduct over 115,000 telehealth visits . With 100 million people globally having to deal with the debilitating symptoms of long COVID and the Omicron variant limiting in-person interaction , the new world of remote rehabilitation services will remain crucial in helping people return to normal life .
As the co-founder of WebPT , a platform for more than 27,000 rehab therapy clinics , Heidi Jannega , PT , DPT , ATC understands how telehealth is offering physical therapists a new view into their patients ' lives . The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Phoenix , Arizona .
“ We are in part of a desert , in a valley that ' s surrounded by cacti and rocks . It ' s beautiful here ,” says Jannenga .
While the Sonoran Desert remains unchanged by the events of the past two years , the healthcare industry has dramatically shifted . These days , online appointments and phone call consultations are becoming ever-more common .
“ It was a very quick change of events , as you can imagine . When the pandemic hit , everybody got sent home . It was very difficult for us as physical therapists
healthcare-digital . com 111