Force Therapeutics Reduces 90-Day Readmissions for Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Force Therapeutics announced today that its episode-based digital care management platform helped Community Hospital of The Monterey Peninsula, an acute care hospital in California, significantly reduce readmissions following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedures. These surgeries include total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total hip arthroplasty (THA), total hip arthroplasty anterior (THAA), and total hip arthroplasty using a posterior lateral approach (THA PLA).

A one-year retrospective analysis showed that readmission rates for all TJA surgeries, independent of surgeon variability, dropped more than 26% compared to the prior year.  The study examined readmission rates before and after implementation of the Force care management platform, which serves as a digital tether between patients and their care teams throughout an episode of care. The platform educates patients on how to identify infection and other recovery complications, and enables an individualized postoperative care plan, including virtual physical therapy to expedite the recovery process.  

The correlation between readmission rates and platform engagement was also analyzed by procedure and by surgeon. Highly engaged patients—those who logged into the platform more than 24 times during their 90-day episodes of care—were far less likely to be readmitted than less engaged patients, especially for THA procedures. Readmissions were reduced by 14% for highly engaged THA patients, 15% for highly engaged THAA patients, and 9% for highly engaged THA PLA patients.

"Given the number of factors that contribute to a patient's readmission after surgery, it can be difficult to prevent non-emergent readmissions," said Dr. Steven Cabrales, vice president and chief medical officer at Community Hospital of The Monterey Peninsula. "We're thrilled to have seen such a significant reduction in our TJA readmission rates in just one year. By providing solid preoperative education and timely communication between patients and their care teams, the Force platform has helped us improve not only the patient experience, but also our clinical outcomes."

The Force platform teaches patients how to properly care for their wounds to prevent infection and identify blood clots, and patients can send pictures and messages to their care teams within the app for an immediate response. Postoperative patients complete custom outcome forms to assess their levels of pain, comfort, and functional mobility, which help care teams identify at-risk patients who require further support or intervention. In addition to reducing readmissions, the Force platform also reduces unnecessary outpatient services, helping clients realize an average savings of $2,100 per patient throughout a musculoskeletal episode.

"With the pandemic in full force, it's more important than ever to keep vulnerable patients out of the hospital," said Bronwyn Spira, founder and CEO of Force Therapeutics. "We're proud to partner with Community Hospital of The Monterey Peninsula to help patients adhere to their evidence-based care plans, achieve their recovery goals, and stay in good health."

About Force Therapeutics
Force Therapeutics is the leading patient engagement platform and research network designed to help clinicians intelligently extend their reach. A provider-prescribed digital care management platform, Force delivers customized education and virtual physical therapy throughout an episode of care, helping clients reduce readmissions, decrease costs, and improve the patient experience. More than 70 leading healthcare centers—including Geisinger, Scripps Health, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center—use the Force platform to improve quality and realize better patient outcomes. The Force Research Network provides healthcare organizations with years of clinically validated data from orthopedics, bariatrics, cardiac care, obstetrics, and non-operative musculoskeletal care episodes to enable evidence-based care redesign. 

Media Contact:
Jessica Smith
Amendola Communications for Force Therapeutics
910-508-9980
[email protected]

SOURCE Force Therapeutics