“What makes remote rehabilitation so incredibly effective, is the dedication of the people behind it.”

Until the age of 31, Ziggy Shahar led a completely healthy and routine life as a young and healthy man. He worked as a computer programmer and enjoyed his role as a new father to his eighteen-month-old daughter. Then, one morning something happened. Shahar tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered he had suffered a mild stroke, from which he recovered in a short time.

Three years ago, Shahar, now 47, experienced another stroke, his third and most severe one, which greatly affected his ability to speak. 

Shahar was diagnosed with aphasia, a condition resulting from brain damage that impairs speech, understanding, reading, and writing abilities. "I couldn't form a full sentence. Rather than saying 'I'm thirsty, I want to drink,' I'd just say 'water' or 'cup.' It made communication with others difficult and was extremely frustrating for me."

Like a hug from afar

As part of the rehabilitation process, Ziggy was referred for further treatment to a speech therapist at the health fund, but due to an issue with the availability of near-term appointments, he had to look for another option: "When I became aware of Sheba BEYOND’s remote rehabilitation program, I realized I could start treatment quickly and also get three sessions a week.”

"I quickly saw a lot of benefits with this treatment method. Living in Givat Ada, pretty far from the center of the country, and not being able to drive after the stroke meant I had to count on my wife for rides everywhere. So, the chance to get treatments right at home was absolutely fantastic.

Until then, all my treatments were in-person, and I was pretty curious about how some methods would work over a webcam. Like, when my speech therapist used to show me the right way to use my tongue, she'd correct me on the spot, standing right there in front of me.”

Another question related to the nature of the relationship with the therapist. “I was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was to communicate through the camera. What most amazed me were the human connections, the sensitivity, warmth, and closeness I felt from Nofia Vered, my first communication therapist at Sheba BEYOND. Right from the start, it was amazing. I didn’t miss the face-to-face intimacy of my previous treatments at all. In fact, it was the opposite. I felt like I was getting a big, warm hug from a friend, even from a distance.”

Ziggy Shahar during a telemedicine session with his therapist

What about the treatment method itself? Was there a notable difference?

"Actually, it was pretty much the same exercises I've done before. The only difference was that the speech therapist didn't have to hold up a picture and ask me what I saw, because I’d already seen the picture on the screen, or she didn't need to wait until I finished writing, because she could see it as I typed."

Comprehensive and personalized treatment

"Thanks to Sheba BEYOND's remote rehab treatment," Shahar shares, "I've seen amazing progress. Initially, I worked exclusively with Nofia, but to cover all bases, they later added two more speech therapists, each specializing in different areas. One focused on improving my writing ability, and another helped me practice English. This is another important point to note: before the injury, I had excellent English. Unfortunately, afterwards, I could barely express myself in English. At some point, I was supposed to fly abroad and was very worried. Nofia matched me with a speech therapist who gave me great tools that significantly improved my language skills.”

“Remote treatment with Sheba BEYOND is great because the therapists tailor everything to what you need. They create a study plan with content that’s both interesting to you or useful for daily life. Sure, advanced technology is the thing that enables remote treatment to happen, but what makes it so incredibly effective, in my opinion, is the dedication of the people behind it.”

Recovering at home offers a major advantage, as research shows

As technology has advanced in recent years, so has the field of telemedicine. Whether it's internal medicine, gynecology, oncology, and more, many patients can now receive treatment from the comfort of their homes. Numerous studies conducted over the years have highlighted the many benefits of remote treatment. These include reducing the risk of hospital-acquired infections, which are notably common in clinical settings, and facilitating faster recovery by allowing patients to recuperate in the familiarity of their own environment.  In the field of rehabilitation - the latter advantage has been proven to be particularly significant.

"The goal of rehabilitation is to get patients back to their daily activities quickly," says communication therapist Nofia Vered, the first to work with Ziggy at Sheba BEYOND. "Being in their natural environment helps a lot with this. Also, a key part of the rehabilitation process is helping patients regain their sense of independence."

A user-friendly system that supports the caregiver-patient relationship

“The remote speech therapy procedure is remarkably easy to operate. Patients don't need to download apps or install special cameras. As soon as they enter the website, a camera window opens through which they can see the therapist and, at the same time, the list of content. This way, instead of relying on someone to drive them to therapy or manage it for them, they can fully take charge of their treatment on their own.”

Vered and her colleagues at Sheba Medical Center started engaging with remote treatment as early as 2015. "We kicked off a research pilot the year before,” she explains. “At that time, I had my doubts about how effective this method would be. I was concerned that communication would suffer the moment a computer was placed between me and the patient, making it harder to connect on a personal level. But to my delight, not only was I proven wrong, but I realized it actually adds value because it allows us to see the patient's natural surroundings, often including interactions with their family, which is something we miss when they visit the clinic alone."

Working with computers has proven to be a real advantage: "In speech therapy, we focus on language, reading, and writing skills. During face-to-face therapy, the writing part was traditionally done using a pen or pencil. When we shifted to remote therapy using computers, the necessity to type everything seemed like a setback. However, very quickly, WhatsApp took over our world and this actually became an advantage. Almost no one writes anymore, and most communication is done through typing. To the point where even in-person therapy sessions now focus heavily on reading and typing WhatsApp messages.”

A therapeutic regimen that is consistently followed

Vered notes that while the treatment methods remain broadly similar, remote therapy offers significant benefits besides its accessibility and convenience. "A key advantage is that patients can continue their rehabilitation work beyond the session by accessing a library of exercises on the website. The vast resources available online also allow for a more personalized approach that helps therapists choose materials that cater to each patient's interests, such as lyrics from favorite songs, engaging articles, news, and more.”

Vered explains, "Sheba BEYOND makes care accessible to all. "Even people who live in the periphery or who are not able to leave their homes can maintain a continuity of care with the professional who treated them while they were still in the acute phase in the hospital. For example, a patient who lives in the south or north of the country can continue receiving treatment from the same clinician who treated them in the ward.  Recently, events like COVID-19 lockdowns and Operation Swords of Iron limited patients' access to in-person treatment. The availability of remote treatment options showed their value during these times, ensuring patients can still access the care they need.”

Want to get back to your best self in the comfort of your own home - with a personalized rehab plan? Now is the time to fill out the form and send it to us. We'll take it from there.