Play The Podcast: Episode 91 - Reviewing Physiotherapists’ Virtual Care Responsibilities
Content
1 October 2026
Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald
Virtual care continues to evolve, but one thing remains the same: physiotherapists are expected to provide safe, effective, high-quality care regardless of how services are delivered. In this episode, Leanne and Sean revisit the regulatory expectations for virtual care and discuss how physiotherapists can apply professional judgment when deciding whether virtual care is the right option for a client.
They discuss key topics including assessing whether virtual care is clinically appropriate, obtaining informed consent, conducting appropriate assessments, and understanding when an in-person visit may still be necessary. The conversation also explores privacy obligations, including safeguards for protecting health information, Privacy Impact Assessments, and Information Management Agreements.
The episode highlights the importance of proactive risk management, patient safety incident planning, documentation requirements, fee transparency, and recording considerations. Finally, Leanne and Sean review cross-border practice considerations and the necessity that physiotherapists understand the regulatory requirements that apply in the jurisdiction where the client is located in addition to the requirements in the jurisdiction where they are located.
Key take away: Virtual care can be a safe and appropriate way to deliver physiotherapy services, but physiotherapists must ensure they fulfill the requirements of the standards of practice as they would when providing in-person services.
Resources:
