Marc Swiontkowski

MD, FAOA

Professor, University of Minnesota

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Mohit Bhandari

FRCSC, PhD

Distinguished University Professor, Chair of Surgery, McMaster University

Telehealth has rapidly shifted from a niche tool to a core component of orthopaedic care, driven by necessity during COVID-19 and sustained by its efficiency. The hosts discuss rising adoption in both Canada and the US, with virtual visits now common for initial triage and especially follow-up. A featured study from Boston Children’s Hospital shows excellent agreement between telehealth and in-person trunk rotation measurements for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, reinforcing the clinical validity of remote assessment for selected metrics. They note that while early rapport and surgical decision-making still require in-person interaction, hybrid models offer meaningful advantages for long-term follow-up. As AI advances, image capture and automated analysis may further accelerate the accuracy and scalability of remote care, suggesting telehealth’s role will only expand across orthopaedics.