An interview with Linsey Porter, OTA — on remote care and the missing link between providers.
Telehealth: An Option for Those Without Local Specialists
For people living in rural areas or regions without specialized providers, telehealth can offer a meaningful solution. Many therapy activities can be effectively conducted through video visits — including evaluations, guided exercises, observing daily activities such as cooking, and assessing how a prosthetic device is fitting during movement.
However, telehealth is not suitable for every situation. Patients who cannot yet perform basic activities of daily living — such as dressing, bathing, or feeding themselves — may first require inpatient rehabilitation.
Similarly, if a physical issue arises during a telehealth visit, such as a wound or blister, the therapist may recommend an in-person appointment.
The decision ultimately depends on the therapist’s clinical judgment and the patient’s functional level. There is no fixed ratio between telehealth and in-person visits; care is adjusted based on individual needs.
The Missing Piece: Therapist–Prosthetist Collaboration
One of the biggest challenges in rehabilitation today, according to Linsey, is the lack of communication between therapists and prosthetists. This isn’t usually due to a lack of willingness. Instead, it often comes down to time.
A typical therapist may see seven patients in a single day, each for about an hour. Between sessions, documentation must be completed, and lunch breaks are limited. Taking 15 or 20 minutes to call a prosthetist can reduce valuable treatment time.
Even when a therapist makes the call, the prosthetist may not be available at that exact moment. The return call might come hours later — long after the patient has left the clinic.
The problem, Linsey explains, is largely driven by insurance reimbursement systems that prioritize efficiency on paper, but do not always reflect the complexity of patient care.
At Restorative Health, the goal is to address this gap by training therapy assistants to complete supervision hours on the prosthetic and orthotic side. This allows the same provider working with the patient to recognize and address device issues immediately.
Instead of scheduling multiple appointments and waiting weeks for adjustments, patients can receive faster, more integrated care.
One message Linsey emphasizes strongly is that there is no deadline for getting the right rehabilitation support. Whether limb loss occurred a few weeks ago or many years ago, patients who still need therapy should not feel that the opportunity has passed.
“If a patient is in need, a patient is in need,” Linsey says. “The same standard of care should apply whether it’s day one or year ten.”