VNSNY to Pilot State-of-the-Art Virtual Rehabilitation Tool
In a collaboration that will add an innovative new component to its home-based rehabilitation therapy services, VNSNY has reached an agreement with the digital health company Reflexion Health to pilot Reflexion’s Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA). This FDA-approved online platform will enhance and extend the work of VNSNY’s physical therapists by enabling patients to engage in virtual rehabilitation therapy sessions at home, between in-person therapy visits.
The state-of-the-art virtual rehab system uses a motion-sensor camera to display the patient’s own body movements on a computer or television screen alongside the figure of an animated “therapist” avatar. The virtual therapist takes the patient through each prescribed exercise—making sure the patient is appropriately positioned, and offering corrections when an exercise isn’t done properly—while the program counts and records every repetition, checking off each exercise as it’s completed.
Besides guiding the patient through his or her exercise program, VERA features an educational portal where patients can learn more about their recovery process and read health and safety tips related to their condition, and a feedback portal where patients are prompted to complete surveys that measure their progress. This progress log is monitored by the patient’s real-life rehabilitation therapist and other caregivers and can also be viewed by the patient, providing an additional source of positive reinforcement and motivation.
In the VNSNY pilot, which is being launched this spring, approximately 70 physical therapists in VNSNY Home Care’s Manhattan region will use VERA with patients recovering from knee replacement surgery. Based on the results of this pilot, the agency then plans to roll the product out throughout VNSNY’s service area for patients with a range of conditions requiring physical therapy.
“We’re excited to offer our clinicians and patients this cutting-edge technology,” says Susan Northover, VNSNY’s Senior Vice President for Patient Care Services. “By empowering our therapists to support their patients and encourage them to stick with their rehabilitation program between home therapy visits, we believe that VERA can help maintain and accelerate the post-surgery recovery process.”
“We very interested in virtual rehabilitation’s potential to augment our rehabilitation therapy protocols,” adds Joseph Gallagher, Director of Operation Support Services at VNSNY. “This innovative and cost-effective tool is one more example of how VNSNY is pioneering the use of new technology to expand our clinical reach and transform the field of home-based care management.”
