Multidisciplinary Clinics

The great advantage of video consultations that I have discovered is that other specialists can be brought into the consultation as required. I frequently work with hand therapists and for the musicians I look after I sometimes require the help of an instrument technical educator to talk about technique work arounds. These musical educators that I work with are all registered with BAPAM (bapam.org.uk) and have a great experience of therapeutic technique education in people who have clinical symptoms. Some of these technique adaptations are beyond my field of expertise and they are fascinating to learn about for both me and the hand therapist. The overlap of knowledge is growing all the time and we are learning from each other. Some of these specialists are not located near my practice but with video consultation this doesn't matter anymore. Indeed, it means I can work with some of the very best people from around the country and indeed around the world and should it be necessary. My network is growing all the time. Of course, patients don't even need to be in the UK to have one of these consultations. 

We formerly had to bunch our patients together so that we could see three patients at the BAPAM offices in Chancery Lane. This was by necessity because each of us would have to travel and we would have to carefully select the patients for this clinic. This is no longer necessary. We simply have to find an appropriate appointment slot so that all of us can attend. This is usually just a very brief break in our day, and afterwards everybody can go back to what they were doing previously. For patients who have problems related to an interface, for example a musical instrument or even a workstation, we can for the first time see the patient in their own environment; this is particularly helpful when it is difficult to bring the musical instrument or the workstation into the consulting room (eg Harp or Church organ, or even a cockpit!).