NCFH Partner Impact in Action, Beyond The Clinic: JointFit
Musculoskeletal conditions affect around 1 in 3 Australian adults and cost the Australian economy more than $53 billion each year.
Beyond The Clinic’s focus is on connecting people with the right care, at the right time and in the right place. Its approach combines qualified physiotherapy care with technology-enabled support, including telehealth and digital tools, to make musculoskeletal care more accessible and easier to manage.
For people living in rural and regional communities, distance, time and limited local services can make accessing healthcare services challenging.
The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) has partnered with Beyond The Clinic to provide farmers and agricultural workers across Australia with greater access to physiotherapy and musculoskeletal (MSK) pain management support through the JointFit digital platform (App with motion-tracked exercises; joint health profile screening, health coach text support) and telehealth available.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment on improving access to appropriate, evidence-informed health care and finding practical approaches that work within the realities of rural and agricultural life.
Supporting farmers to access care where they are.
For people living and working in rural and regional communities, muscle and joint pain can have a significant impact on physical function, work and everyday life. Yet getting timely support is not always easy when the nearest allied health service may be a considerable distance from home or the farm.
JointFit has been designed to help address some of these barriers by combining physiotherapist-led care with technology-enabled support.
Participants can connect with qualified, AHPRA-registered physiotherapists via telehealth and receive personalised support for their musculoskeletal health, including structured care and exercise programs.
The model provides an opportunity for farmers and agricultural workers to access professional support while reducing the need for travel and time away from work.
A practical pathway for rural and regional communities.
National Centre for Farmer Health Director, Associate Professor Alison Kennedy, said the partnership provides another practical pathway for farmers to access professional health support.
“Improving farmer health outcomes requires us to think differently about how health care is delivered. For farmers and agricultural workers, we know that access to timely and appropriate care can be constrained by distance, time and the realities of agricultural work. This partnership with Beyond The Clinic is an important step in addressing those barriers, bringing evidence-informed physiotherapy support closer to where people live and work and creating greater opportunity for early intervention, better health outcomes and sustained participation in work and life.”
Making appropriate health support easier to access is an important part of improving the health, wellbeing and safety of Australia’s farming communities.
Connecting farmers and agricultural workers with physiotherapy support.
Through JointFit, participants can access:
Telehealth consultations
Connect with a qualified physiotherapist remotely, helping reduce the need to travel long distances for an appointment.
Personalised exercise programs
Receive an exercise program tailored to individual needs, goals and physical function.
Musculoskeletal health support
Access professional support for muscle and joint pain and other musculoskeletal concerns.
Ongoing care and support
JointFit combines physiotherapist-led care with digital technology to support participants beyond a traditional clinic appointment.
The program has been tested with patients in real-world settings, combining digital support with qualified physiotherapy care.
Start your referral to JointFit
If you are a farmer or agricultural worker experiencing muscle or joint pain, you can access JointFit through the National Centre for Farmer Health referral pathway. Start your referral with JointFit at the button below.
