Reflexion Health’s virtual rehab assistant posts similar results to traditional therapy

Separate studies have found that Reflexion Health’s virtual exercise rehabilitation assistant (VERA) was as safe and effective as traditional physical therapy while saving $2,745 per patient in a bundled-payment setting, the company announced.

Reflexion designed VERA as a digital therapy platform that integrates several components for a comprehensive, home-based rehabilitation experience without the need for patients to apply or wear any sensors or monitoring devices. Those components include:

• Prescription rehabilitation exercises.
• An animated avatar coach.
• A 3D imaging system for measuring movement and form, functional assessments.
• An intuitive dashboard for remote clinical review.
• Automatic report generation.
• Telemedicine capability.

Results of the studies performed at Duke and Yale universities will be presented tomorrow and Friday at the American Academy of Orthopaedics meeting in Las Vegas. The Yale study enrolled 50 patients whose outcomes were compared to 50 patients with traditional home/outpatient physical therapy. The telerehabilitation group had no readmissions or emergency hospital visits, compared with the traditional therapy group’s rates of 4.4% and 0.2% respectively. None of the telerehabiliation patients required manipulation post surgery. The Duke study showed the bundled-payment savings.

“We are thrilled that two prestigious academic organizations are both presenting on VERA at AAOS,” said Reflexion CEO Joseph Smith, M.D., in a prepared statement. “The combination of results from prospective randomized controlled trials together with completely complimentary real-world experience should give providers and payors the proof they need for more widespread adoption of VERA. Engaging patients with a convenient and effective solution in the comfort of their own home, while providing similar or better clinical outcomes and dramatically reducing overall healthcare costs, is a win for everyone.”