Abstract
BACKGROUND: Telehealth evaluations of musculoskeletal conditions have increased due to the stay-at-home policies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in primary care. While telehealth may never supplant in-person evaluation of back pain, it is imperative in a changing world to learn to perform this evaluation via telephone or video. Virtual visits rely on history-taking and patient self-reported descriptions of pain elicited from self-palpation or specific movements while on the telephone with the clinician. Video examinations provide a unique way of evaluating the lower back compared to telephone because of the ability to visualize the actions of the patient. OBJECTIVE: To create an evaluation pathway for examination of the lumbar spine via telehealth. METHODS: Our group has created a step-by-step evaluation pathway to help physicians direct their patients through typical lumbar examination elements, including inspection, palpation, range of motion, and strength, special, and functional testing. RESULTS: We have developed a table of questions and instructions and a glossary of images of each maneuver to facilitate lumbar spine examination via telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS: This paper provides a guide for extracting clinically relevant information while performing telemedicine examinations of the lumbar spine.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 81-93 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Technology and Health Care |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2023 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biophysics
- Bioengineering
- Biomaterials
- Information Systems
- Biomedical Engineering
- Health Informatics