Case study: Post-op video assessment

Provided by Luke Todd, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust

Situation: 

During COVID-19, I needed to see a patient remotely post-op for a total knee replacement. The assessment included things like a wound check, leg colour, knee ROM check, sit-to-stand, walking with crutches, and exercise technique check.

Actions: 

Using Attend Anywhere, the patient was able to use a mobile device – this proved helpful as it was hand-held and could be manoeuvred easily to show different body areas.

The challenges came when doing larger movements such as sit-to-stand and walking – the patient needed to find a good place to position the phone and we needed to adjust a couple of times to get a good view. 

A cameraperson such as a spouse would have made this easier.

Outcome: 

There was a good outcome in terms of a thorough eyes-on assessment compared to over the phone. 

The patient felt reassured that someone had “looked at my knee”, which we hear a lot coming out of lockdown and seeing people face-to-face. 

Being physically looked at seems to be important to many, so in this case during lockdown and having no face-to-face consultations it was the best option we could offer at the time.