Unlock digital MSK for providers

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of digital health tools, including synchronous and asynchronous treatment options, has exploded, growing faster than ever, and covering more patients than ever before. This shift is driven by the current rising consumer demand for digital care during Covid-this trend is expected to continue after Covid. As lockdowns, social distancing and other pandemic-related requirements limit face-to-face options, consumers are looking for ways to attract their care team and track and maintain their health remotely.

According to the next phase of the pandemic, even though the blockade has been lifted and the world opened up again, consumer demand for digital healthcare is still high. Since the Covid baseline, the use of telemedicine has increased 38 times. Research From McKinsey & Company. In addition, 76% of individuals surveyed during the pandemic expressed interest in using digital healthcare in the future. This demand is not limited to young people.Medical insurance members also need family-based digital health solutions, including 52% of Medicare beneficiaries Received some kind of virtual care between March and December 2020.

Although this upward trend in the use of digital healthcare has been growing for many years, even before the pandemic, it has always been limited by the lack of adoption by traditional physical vendors and medical systems. However, this mentality has changed during the pandemic. Today, many providers view digital health as a core component of their long-term strategy to provide the best care for patients. Looking to the future, those providers who can harness the power of digital health will move fast.

These broader trends also play a role in musculoskeletal health and physical therapy.according to American Physical Therapy Association, “Before the pandemic, telemedicine was an exception to the physical therapy rule. Once the pandemic begins to change behaviors, the number of PTs offering video consultations will increase significantly, as will the number of patients receiving video consultations.” The number of physical therapists is sharp. Increase: from 2% of providing video consultation before the pandemic to 50% of providing virtual consultation during Covid-19. Of those PTs that provide virtual care, 51% see 1 to 5 patients per week, 17% see 6 to 10 patients per week, and 17% see more than 10 patients.

The challenge of musculoskeletal care

Despite the increasing adoption of virtual PT during Covid, it remains a challenge for patients to get proper musculoskeletal (MSK) care when and where they want it. The cost of musculoskeletal diseases in the United States continues to exceed all other conditions, with annual expenditures of US$400-600B (10-15% of total medical expenditure). However, many patients still experience sub-optimal care throughout the MSK treatment process, including unnecessary interventions (such as opioid prescriptions, injections, surgery) and adverse outcomes (such as limited clinical improvement, surgical complications).

One of the driving forces behind the high cost and variable quality of MSK care today is access to limited opportunities and poor compliance with physical therapy. Generally, only 20% of all people who need outpatient PT have received it, while only 30% of people who started PT have completed the treatment. Challenges contributing to this trend include geographic restrictions (“PT Desert”), limited PT clinic time, high co-payments, and poor compliance with prescribed PT exercises at home.

Digital MSK can solve access and adoption problems

The digital MSK solution represents an important opportunity to add value throughout the MSK care journey. In particular, the increasing adoption of virtual PT can provide affordable and accessible treatment options for a variety of clinical conditions and patient groups.

However, there are still some obstacles for traditional providers to effectively deliver virtual PTs on a large scale:

• Lack of technical solutions that are easy to use and integrate with the provider’s clinical workflow—— 21% of PT Use this as a major obstacle to the provision of virtual care
• Clinicians have limited ability to monitor family compliance after face-to-face treatment
• The affordability challenges of current solutions make it difficult for vendors to deploy on a large scale
• The industry has developed slowly, surpassing the traditional pay-for-service model, and historically encouraged personal care

These challenges underscore why many virtual PT solutions today are not provided by patients’ preferred providers, but by clinicians outside the broader healthcare ecosystem. Despite the fact that many patients prefer to receive virtual PT care as part of their ongoing relationship with the wider MSK care team, so they can arrange face-to-face, virtual or remote asynchronous access at the time and place most convenient for them — without interruption Their existing provider relationships or MSK Sloan’s holistic care journey. Importantly, recent technological advancements have created opportunities for traditional providers to overcome these obstacles and provide virtual PT in a way that is convenient for patients and frontline clinicians and has a high degree of clinical integrity.

New standards of care

In order for the virtual PT solution to reach its true potential, the next evolution must implement a hybrid integrated care model supported by the patient’s preferred provider, which combines the advantages of face-to-face and virtual touchpoints.

Digital MSK companies must provide several key elements in order to become a value-added partner that defines this new standard of care:

Medical systems and suppliers can benefit from integrated digital solutions that enable MSK Sloan patients to experience seamless and uninterrupted care throughout their journey, drive greater compliance and results, and foster lifelong Patient-supplier relationship. Such solutions have transformative potential to remove barriers for patients and provide life-long MSK health for all.