Reflexion Health and Duke Clinical Research Institute Announce Results of the First Randomized Controlled Trial Demonstrating Virtual Physical Therapy Outperforms Traditional Approach
Reflexion Health's FDA-cleared, virtual outpatient physical therapy platform reduces costs for patients following total knee replacement surgery
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Reflexion Health, the virtual rehabilitation therapy company, in conjunction with the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), today announced positive results from a randomized controlled clinical trial, "Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation In-home Therapy: A Research Study (VERITAS)." VERITAS was designed to evaluate the cost and clinical non-inferiority of using a virtual rehabilitation platform to deliver physical therapy following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. In the study, VERATM, Reflexion Health's FDA-cleared Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant, with clinician oversight enabled a substantial reduction in post-acute costs and rehospitalizations while being as effective as traditional physical therapy.
Conducted independently by the DCRI, VERITAS is the first large-scale randomized controlled clinical trial that compares virtual physical therapy with traditional physical therapy.
"Physical therapy is a critical component of recovery for patients following total joint replacement surgery. As people live longer and these surgeries become more common, it is important to identify solutions that maintain or improve outcomes while decreasing the burden on patients and providers," said Janet Prvu Bettger, Ph.D., associate professor with the Duke Department of Orthopedic Surgery and principal investigator of the study. "We are pleased with the results of the study which show that Reflexion Health's VERA coupled with remote clinician oversight, is a cost-effective paradigm for physical therapy – one that is more convenient for patients while providing clinicians greater insight into the recovery process."
VERITAS was a multi-center, randomized controlled trial that enrolled 306 adult participants scheduled for TKR surgery at four U.S. sites. Of the consented participants, 287 completed the trial. The treatment group concluded with 143 adults who received Reflexion Health's VERA both pre- and post-surgery, compared with a control group of 144 adults who received traditional in-home or clinic-based physical therapy at participating sites. Clinical outcomes, health service use, and costs were examined for three months after surgery.
The study results demonstrated an average cost savings of $2,745 per patient for those who received virtual physical therapy using VERA technology with clinical oversight when compared to usual care with traditional physical therapy. Virtual physical therapy met its secondary effectiveness endpoints of non-inferiority for reducing disability and improving knee function. Compared with usual care, safety endpoints for patients with virtual physical therapy were similar.
"VERITAS provides the highest level of evidence that VERA is a more cost-effective, patient-centered alternative to traditional care," said Joseph Smith, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of Reflexion Health. "The strength of these results should give providers and payors the proof they need to adopt VERA. Engaging and delighting patients with a convenient and connected 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."
Full results from the VERITAS trial will be presented at the American Health Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) Annual Meeting taking place November 2-4. For more information on Reflexion Health's FDA-cleared VERA platform, please visit www.reflexionhealth.com.
Duke Clinical Research Institute
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), part of the Duke University School of Medicine, is the largest academic research organization in the world. Its mission is to develop and share knowledge that improves the care of patients through innovative clinical research. The DCRI conducts groundbreaking multinational clinical trials, manages major national patient registries, and performs landmark outcomes research. DCRI research spans multiple disciplines, from pediatrics to geriatrics, primary care to subspecialty medicine, and genomics to proteomics. The DCRI also is home to the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Diseases, the largest and oldest institutional cardiovascular database in the world, which continues to inform clinical decision-making more than 45 years after its founding.
About Reflexion Health
Reflexion Health is a virtual rehabilitation therapy company dedicated to bringing patients evidence-based technology that helps them recover at home. VERA™, Reflexion Health's lead product, is an FDA-cleared Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant that is able to support and remotely monitor physical therapy exercises in real-time. VERA brings the guidance of a physical therapist into the home to coach, motivate and assess exercise movements adherence to prescribed physical therapy recovery exercises.
VERA is uniquely designed to deliver home-based, on-demand therapy sessions. The platform's engaging avatar – combined with 3D biometrics, comprehensive remote monitoring by clinicians, and telehealth visits – saves patients steps, money and time.
Reflexion Health is owned by Digital Health Corp, a diversified healthcare company. For more information on VERA or to sign up for a demo today, please visit www.reflexionhealth.com.
SOURCE Reflexion Health
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