Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s Concussion Centre is excited to debut a new telemedicine option with the Ontario Telehealth Network (OTN) to support children, youth and their families with access to early concussion care services. Valuable feedback recently collected from families has suggested that when appropriate, telemedicine can create an easier pathway to concussion care services by reducing the burden associated with time commitment, travel, and other costs typically associated with in-person appointments.

Kids, youth, and their families may have demanding schedules that make it challenging to attend their appointments, especially if multiple visits are required. Barriers to attend in-person appointments can keep children and youth out of their activities longer than they need to be. However, many concussion protocols across schools and sports organizations require physician clearance to resume full-time activity. Physician-led care is also fundamental in safely guiding children and youth throughout the return-to-learn and return-to-play process. With the introduction of telemedicine, Holland Bloorview aims to support kids, youth, and their families in receiving timely access to concussion services by offering the opportunity to meet with physicians and clinicians virtually.

Telemedicine uses telecommunication technology such as a smart phone, laptop, and tablet to provide virtual and remote treatment. This allows individuals to have their appointments from the comfort of their own home, and improves access to care by reducing costs and time often associated with in-person appointments. In addition, telemedicine platforms such as those hosted by the OTN ensure that kids, youth, and their families have access to a secure network that protects their personal health information.

Holland Bloorview’s Concussion Centre remains committed to meeting the needs of kids, youth, families, and the medical community, and is excited to offer a new technology that gives families an alternative way to attend appointments at their convenience. It is one of the first clinical programs at Holland Bloorview to incorporate telemedicine into their services.

For more information about telemedicine at Holland Bloorview’s Concussion Centre, please contact concussion@hollandbloorview.ca.