Net Health's Research Team to Present Data on Key Findings at ACRM Conference

Research team presenting on value of telerehabilitation and advances in patient-reported outcomes measurement for patients with dizziness and balance impairments

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlighting the company's industry leadership, Net Health Research and Clinical Outcomes was selected to give three presentations at the 99^th American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Conference, November 8 – 11 in Chicago.  ACRM is billed as the world's largest interdisciplinary rehabilitation research conference, bringing in top scientists and clinicians globally. 

Net Health's FOTO® Patient Outcomes is a leading innovator in rehabilitation therapy patient outcomes and analytics, providing front-line clinicians with accurate patient benchmarking against their professional peers nationwide using both modern measurement science (e.g., FOTO®, PROMIS) and traditional measures (e.g., Oswestry, DASH). Since its founding in 1992, FOTO has been involved in 139 research studies published in peer-reviewed medical or rehabilitation journals.

The ACRM presentations are: 

• Presentation: Associations Between Telerehabilitation and Outcomes for Patients with Low Back Pain During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Wednesday, November 9 - 3:55 PM – 4:11 PM
• Presentation: Reliability, Validity and Efficiency of an Item Response Theory-based Balance Confidence Patient Reported Outcome Measure. Thursday, November 10 - 3:55 PM – 4:11 PM
• Poster Presentation: New Item Response Theory-based Dizziness Impact Measures Were Reliable, Valid, and Efficient. Wednesday, November 9 – 12:23 – 12:28 PM

The presentations will be led by Daniel Deutscher, P.T., Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist for Net Health. The company's Poster Presentation was selected as the winner of this year's ACRM's Measurement Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group (ISIG) 'Advancing the Science of Measurement' Poster Award.

"We are excited and honored to have these three studies featured at ACRM," said Deanna Hayes, P.T., D.P.T., M.S., Director of Research and Clinical Outcomes for Net Health. "These presentations prove the rigor behind FOTO's measurement precision and commitment to reducing patient and provider burden while harnessing modern science and technology."

The studies provide valuable information for the rehabilitation industry and therapists today.

The Telerehabilitation (TR) Study showed a positive association between TR and rehabilitation outcomes, including better functional status outcomes and fewer visits, when all care was delivered through TR. The key takeaway from this observational study was that for people with low back pain, physical therapy delivered through TR was equally effective and more efficient than in-person care.  Additionally, it showed that TR effectiveness was optimal when used for all visits during the episode of care.

Two outcome measure development studies supported the reliability (accuracy), validity, and administration efficiency (low survey completion burden) for assessing balance confidence and functional status related to dizziness. Both studies combined included more than 48,000 adult patients with either balance impairments, vertigo, brain injury, or neck impairments. 

The dizziness research identified three valid domains (e.g., the positional, functional and/or emotional aspects that may influence vertigo) that need to be assessed separately, resulting in one of FOTO's most sophisticated measurement algorithms.  The findings will help therapists identify the domain most impactful to the patients' functional abilities, enabling them to better tailor treatments while increasing patient safety during rehabilitation. 

For more information on FOTO, visit www.fotoinc.com

About Net Health
Net Health's mission is to harness data for human health. Net Health solutions are trusted in over 23,000 facilities across the continuum of care. Our EHR software enables caregivers and their organizations to engage effectively with patients, streamline documentation, staff efficiently, secure maximum appropriate reimbursement and maintain regulatory compliance. Our unique approach to analytics seamlessly presents insights in clinical and operational workflows to improve care and business performance.  Net Health is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, Level Equity and Silversmith Capital Partners. www.nethealth.com.

SOURCE Net Health Systems, Inc.