By: 9 October 2019
Pioneering new physio app set to speed up patient recovery

A new physio app designed to help treat patients recovering from hip and knee replacement surgery has been launched in the NHS.

It is being trialled at Calderdale Royal Hospital, in West Yorkshire, where orthopaedic patients are now discharged home on the same day with easy-to-use wearable motion sensors and access to the personalised BPMpathway app platform.

Healthcare company B Braun Medical Ltd has invested in the intuitive rehabilitation monitoring system, which has been designed to speed up the recovery process at home with the benefits of minimising patients’ exposure to hospital-acquired infections, reducing waiting times and saving the NHS money.

The BPMpathway app enables clinicians to monitor a patient’s recovery with remote access to a range of information about their movement as patients undertake personalised, daily rehabilitation programmes from the comfort of their own home.

Patients follow a series of personalised physiotherapy routines, displayed in graphics and videos, and they can communicate with a doctor through an instant messaging system. They can also report how much discomfort they are in with a ‘pain scale’ and discuss progress at a six-week virtual clinic appointment with their consultant.

Graham Walsh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said: “We’re extremely proud to be one of the first NHS Trusts in England to adopt this unique app. At Calderdale, we are always looking for ways to do things differently and for the benefit of our team, but most importantly, our patients.

“Using the BPMpathway, clinicians can tailor a patient’s rehabilitation and recovery programme to meet individual needs. By reviewing remotely-gathered secure data, they can assess progress and adjust their rehabilitation schedule.

“It’s simple to use, highly intuitive and patient centric with realistic targets and exercises, and removes the need for unnecessary hospital visits when patients are recovering well at home.

“It alerts clinicians when patients have failed to meet recovery targets so they can intervene and prevent potential complications and re-admission.

“The new app will not only speed up the patients’ recovery time and reduce waiting lists, but it will also save money. The app enables patients to reduce their stay in hospital for several days and they don’t require multiple physio appointments.”

It is hoped the increased patient engagement in their own recovery will result in better outcomes and the data collected could lead to new insights and improved rehabilitation advice.

Source: Digital Health