• Zeeshan M Sardar, Josephine R Coury, Andrew J Luzzi, Mark Weidenbaum, and K Daniel Riew.
• Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA. Electronic address: zms2117@cumc.columbia.edu.
• World Neurosurg. 2021 Oct 1; 154: e61e71e61-e71.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in the use of telehealth visits across the country to minimize in-person visits and to limit the spread of COVID-19. To date, no standards or outlines for telehealth spine examinations have been detailed and many surgeons simply defer the physical examination when performing telehealth visits. Nevertheless, just as physical examination of the spine is an integral part of live clinical encounters, appropriately modified physical examinations should also be part of virtual visits.MethodsIn this study we provide our methodology for guiding providers and patients in efficiently performing telehealth spine examinations.ResultsThe study details steps for efficiently performing a physical examination in the telehealth setting. Our written suggestions are supplemented with photographs and video recordings to help streamline the virtual examination.ConclusionsAn effective and efficient spine physical examination can be performed during telehealth visits. Future directions include verifying the findings from our virtual physical examination with in-person examinations.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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