musculoskeletal pain Includes a variety of diseases that affect bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue. Injuries such as fractures from falls can cause sudden, severe pain and are common among older adults. Common conditions include tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or any pain that affects bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, or muscles.
MSK conditions are a major cost driver of global healthcare spending. As the population ages, the demand for physical therapy (PT) services continues to grow; however, our common approach to providing PT for musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders is out of sync with the American public, who increasingly wants virtual care.
In fact, a polls It showed that 47% of adults said they would prefer to use telehealth services, while that number jumped to 55% for those who have used telehealth in the past.Furthermore, a study Medicare beneficiaries with new-onset low back pain found that patients who received PT early had a lower risk of subsequent use of health care services compared with patients who received PT later.
Digital PT services have long been available in Europe but are new in the US, offering US patients a new way to access PT and offering US health plans a way to reduce costs compared to traditional PT. Research has shown that digital PT provides health outcomes similar to or better than traditional PT.
one study The effects of two different home programs after total knee arthroplasty were analyzed. At the end of the eight-week program, participants in the digital intervention group experienced a 10.47-second improvement on the “Timed Up and Go” test six months after surgery, compared with a median change of 5.08 seconds in the traditional PT group.other study Demonstrated success of digital PT in the treatment of shoulder pain. Patients who completed the digital intervention reported a 54.8% reduction in pain levels.
Digital PT also promotes health equity.one study Vulnerable groups, such as those with lower education levels, lower incomes, or located in rural areas, were reported to use PT less than non-vulnerable groups.other study Clinic records and national census databases were analyzed to explore the impact of providing free vans to patients attending outpatient PT appointments. The authors found that the availability of free van transportation was associated with increased patient visits to outpatient PT clinics. While transportation assistance is an option to reduce disparity, virtual PT is a more immediate option to address this disparity.
Digital PT services are actively addressing coverage gaps in the traditional PT market. Innovations such as digital PT provide quality services that provide similar or even better health outcomes, while reducing costs, increasing patient satisfaction, and addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH).
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