Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Care Platform Enabling At-home Patient Care

Abstract

Pain and stiffness in the musculoskeletal system cause limited range of motion and loss of mobility. Remediation includes home care programs, physical therapy, medication, and if necessary, surgery. Much of the recovery occurs at home. Active engagement by patients in their care program is crucial for successful clinical recovery. Recovering from a partial or total joint replacement requires active participation in an exercise program to help minimize swelling and improve motion and strength. On the other hand, non-surgical musculoskeletal indications, also require a personalized exercise plan for recovery. Patients need support with following their care at home. Remote care programs and monitoring offer convenient, safe, and time and cost-efficient care, including at-home physical therapy programs, and have broad clinical scope. We studied one such program. This paper reports the results of a platform that digitizes care programs for all musculoskeletal conditions, engages patients at their convenience, while providing visibility to recovery progress via patient-reported and sensor-generated data. We introduce Plethy Recupe which is a comprehensive platform for musculoskeletal care with a joint motion sensor, intuitive app, and intelligent clinical dashboard. Six exercises were selected from this platform and 10 individuals were asked to perform the exercises to evaluate the accuracy of the range of motion (ROM) and complete a questionnaire on the usability of the solution.