How to Make Telehealth Work

Hello!

Today I’d like to talk about telehealth and how to make it work.

Many of us were jolted into the world of telehealth here in the U.S. in March 2019 due to Covid 19.

All of a sudden we needed to know how to log on, unmute, and screen share.

I have to admit, I was a little more fortunate than others, as I’ve been working in telehealth for 7 years, but even for me, it was a bit of a learning curve.

As an occupational therapist, much of my job can be hands on.

It’s hard to be hands on through a computer screen.

Good thing occupational therapists are known for thinking outside of the box, and telehealth ideas and resources have exploded over recent months.

In this post I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned delivering services via the computer.

I hope this can be helpful for therapists, teachers and families alike.

General Thoughts on Telehealth

1. There is always something new to learn.
   
   Many platforms like Zoom and Google Meet are constantly changing and updating.
   
   New resources are popping up every day.
2. It takes time to adjust to a hands off approach required when we are not in the same room as our students.
   
   This is an adjustment on our end as well as theirs.
3. Communication is key.
   
   As therapist’s we have to be able to communicate and give verbal directions in a way that our clients can understand.
   
   This sounds easier than it is at times.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR BACKGROUND.
   
   Remember cameras capture everything.
   
   We are all squeezed in tight in our homes, there’s bound to be other things going on, try to remember that and minimize background disruptions.
   
   There’s been many an “oops” moment with cameras catching everything, it happens.
   
   You may also need to remind your students of this too.
5. Every session will not go smoothly.
   
   I think there’s a lot of pressure on everyone to get this telehealth thing right.
   
   Nothing goes right 100% of the time.
   
   That includes telehealth. We need to go easy on each other.
6. Skip the fancy stuff.
   
   There’s a lot of add-ons for telehealth, you don’t necessarily need them to have a successful session, and in fact at times all the bells and whistles can be a distraction.
   
   Kids are really only looking for engagement with you, so make sure you are providing that.
7. Sometimes a less structured session can provide the most function and learning.
   
   Remember every second does not have to be planned out, there is learning in discovery.
8. If you don’t know how to do something ask your student!
   
   Seriously, I’ve found my students are better at knowing how to do things or troubleshooting problems than I am!
   
   And it’s a great confidence builder for them.

Specific Telehealth Ideas and Activities

Here are a few of my favorite things to do!

1. Youtube– YouTube is my best friend.
   
   Watching a visual demonstration of just about anything can really help, and since there isn’t hands on treatment over Zoom, videos can be your hands.
   
   You can find just about anything on Youtube.
   
   You can pause, rewind, fast forward or mute the sound and just watch.
   
   Youtube is a favorite of mine, but also of my students.
2. Voice to text– if both you and your student have a strong connection, you can have your student voice to text information (think typing a story).
   
   They can control voice to text on their end, or you can do it for them because the Google docs microphone is strong enough to pick up what’s being said through the computer.
3. Exploring– occupational therapy is all about function right?
   
   Learning various features on your computer is a functional activity.
   
   Learning what our computers can do for us is a critical skill for any age because let’s face it, we all need to know how to use and navigate the computer and the web.
   
   There is great value in playing around to see what happens. (Of course be careful of inappropriate content if you are on the web).
4. The whiteboard– both Zoom and Google Meet have whiteboards.
   
   Use them.
   
   You can draw, use stamps, write, etc.
   
   Learning how to use and control the mouse to access the whiteboard is a great fine and visual motor coordination activity!
5. A document camera– you can connect your ipad or iphone to your Zoom session!
   
   If you need to show your students something, but need them to still see your face, you can do both!
6. Paper and pencil– remember those?
   
   You can do SO much with just a paper and pencil.
   
   Drawing, writing, coloring, origami, the possibilities are endless.
7. Games – there are many many online games that can be used to work on skills.
   
   You can play I Spy, do virtual puzzles, typing games, mazes and hidden pictures.
   
   You can make these work by screen sharing, giving remote access to your mouse, or using the pencil tool.
   
   I suggest you have a few options up and ready to go before your session so you’re not having to surf the web while your student waits.
8. Exercise – Did I mention YouTube?
   
   Well there are lots and lots and lots of sensory regulation and exercise videos on there (and other places on the web) that are perfect for kids.
   
   Any kind of movement is great given the fact we are all trapped in front of our computer screens.
9. Meditation – we can all use a little relaxation right?
   
   There are many meditation videos for kids.
   
   I sometimes use these at the beginning of my sessions to get kids ready to sit in front of a screen.
10. Offline activities – remember just because you are in front of a screen doesn’t mean everything you do during your sessions has to involve a screen.
    
    Yes, you need the video screen to see your student, but you can pick “off line” activities.
    
    Think craft activities, scissors, glue, coloring, origami, activity worksheets, mazes or dot to dots (if your student has a printer).
    
    Think about all the things you do in person that you can still do on Zoom.

There are so many new ideas coming out everyday. A simple web search will give you endless choices.

Again, your sessions don’t have to be fancy to be fun!

Lastly, I know many people like to point out the drawbacks of telehealth, and there are some, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a viable or valuable treatment method.

Part of occupational therapy is to work on independence, and telehealth inadvertently promotes that.

There are many positives to telehealth, but it is a change from what many of us are used to.

It’s important to explore and have fun and see all of the wonderful things telehealth can do.

Until next time,