Orcha Best Apps for Remote Physiotherapy

To minimise risks of exposing patients to COVID-19, around 70,000 physiotherapists in the UK alone¹ are being asked to adopt remote consultations. Already growing in popularity, physiotherapy apps are now a vital tool for physiotherapists to improve patient outcomes.

Apps can be used effectively to help in assessment, treatment compliance, monitoring of symptoms, or self-management of conditions, improving a patient’s physical and mental health.

In this newsletter, we feature a video interview with Karen Middleton, CEO, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), explaining why “digital leadership is critical for the physiotherapy profession”, and discussing The CSP’s newly launched Physiotherapy App Library.

We also share three top physiotherapy apps worth knowing about, invite you to our next free COVID-19 webinar: ‘Building Health Apps into Physio Practice’, and, in case you missed it, a reminder of our free COVID-19 App Library that launched this week.

View from the front line

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has recently launched an App Library to enable its 59,000 members to take a leadership role in incorporating digital technology in their practice.

In our latest video, hear Karen Middleton, Chief Executive Offier, CSP, and Euan McComiskie, UK Health Informatics Lead and Professional Advisor for Northern Ireland at CSP, discuss how apps can help as part of assessment, treatment compliance, monitoring symptoms, and allowing people to self-manage.

Euan McComiskie explains, “We’re working with ORCHA to try and enable our physios to be able to confidently recommend worthwhile apps to their service users, and for our members to use for their own benefit.”

The CSP’s Physiotherapy App Library can be found at csp.org.uk/applibrary

On behalf of NHS organisations, ORCHA assesses more apps than anyone else, looking at clinical assurance, safety, data privacy and user experience. Below are three top scoring apps that are designed to help with physiotherapy. Click the images to watch our videos about each app:

Vivira allows users to train in the comfort of their home with just four exercises per day. Created by experienced orthopedists and therapists for people looking to restore function and reduce pain, this app adapts to the user’s abilities. Access Vivira‘s ORCHA Review here.

GPEP Physiotherapy Exercises has been designed with the help of NHS GPs and physiotherapists with the aim of bringing users access to self-help advice from professionals, enabling users with back, muscle and joint conditions to start their recovery early. GPEP‘s ORCHA Review can be found here.

AfterTrauma provides information on both the physical and emotional impacts of serious injury, and has been co-designed with serious injury survivors, carers, doctors and therapists. The app is set up to help users rebuild their lives. Read AfterTrauma‘s ORCHA Review here.