Reflexion Health Inc and Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) have begun enrolling patients in the Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation In-home Therapy: A Research Study (VERITAS).

The multi-center, randomized control study is designed to evaluate the costs and outcomes of using the VERA virtual exercise rehabilitation platform to deliver physical therapy to patients following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery.

Approximately 300 adult participants scheduled for TKR surgery will be enrolled at six sites, explains a media release from Reflexion Health Inc and Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Half of the participants (the treatment group) will receive Reflexion Health’s proprietary virtual exercise rehabilitation assistant, VERA, both pre- and post-surgery. The control group of 150 adults will receive traditional in-home or clinic-based physical therapy at participating sites. Clinical outcomes, health service use, and costs will be examined for 3 months after surgery.

“Physical therapy is often a critical component of care for patients who have TKR surgery. Digital health technology, including virtual and telehealth options, may increase access, improve quality, and lower healthcare costs,” says Janet Prvu Bettger, ScD, associate professor with the Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and principal investigator for the study at the DCRI, in the release.

“Extending the reach of physical therapists into the home using a digital healthcare platform like VERA can provide remote guidance and supervision for a home-based therapy program. However, implementation in the US has not been widely evaluated until now,” Prvu Bettger adds.

“With VERITAS, we are eager to confirm what we’ve already demonstrated with hospitals and clinicians in pilot studies—VERA is a cost-effective, scalable, and effective option for improving compliance and recovery in home-based physical therapy following total knee replacement surgery,” says Joseph (Joe) Smith, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Reflexion Health, in the release.

[Source(s): Reflexion Health Inc, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Business Wire]