Due to COVID-19, thousands of orthopedic patients have experienced a sudden cancellation of scheduled hip, knee, shoulder, extremity and spine surgeries and physical therapy sessions. These patients will be forced to endure their pain and limited mobility for an indefinite amount of time. Surgeons, physical therapists, and engineers are challenging themselves to rapidly deliver innovative products, services and software that can bring relief.
For Such A Time As This – OrthoChallenge is a campaign to help expedite the introduction of new products, software, and services that address the needs of orthopedic patients whose surgeries and therapies are delayed due to the pandemic. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Food & Drug Administration and other government leaders to help “fast track” these innovations to patients.
The goal is to help orthopedic patients with their pain and limitations while they wait for surgery and reduce the COVID-19 risks unique to orthopedic patients.
Ideas may be submitted digitally at www.ForSuchaTimeAsThisOrtho.com, and the top 10 will be announced in May. The deadline to submit ideas is April 30.
“Healthcare providers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, are demonstrating this truth: ‘greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,'” says Raymond Cloutier, CEO of NovApproach Spine, among the campaign’s sponsors, in a media release.
“As the world faces this pandemic crisis, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and industry are stepping up to help meet the needs of orthopedic patients. Wholly new products, software and services are anticipated that may advance the ‘standard of care,'” he adds.
“There are so many patients with orthopedic problems who will have their surgery delayed for an unknown amount of time and will continue to suffer from the pain and disability of their underlying condition. This is an opportunity for us to develop measures to mitigate the symptoms until we are able to freely provide the care that our patients need,” says co-sponsor, Joseph Zuckerman, MD, Chair, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, NYU Langone Health; Past President, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
“A hallmark of the orthopedic community is innovation through collaboration. This is an opportunity to demonstrate this once again for the patients we serve,” adds Co-sponsor, Dawn Lissy, CEO/Founder Empirical Technologies Corp.
“With the mandates to stay at home as much as possible, many individuals are having to delay their elective orthopedic surgical procedures,” shares Marilyn Moffat, PT, Director of the DPT Program at New York University and Past-President of the American Physical Therapy Association, the release continues.
“The need for guidance and encouragement to continue their exercise programs and physical activity that can be provided by a physical therapist becomes paramount. The ‘For Such A Time As This – OrthoChallenge’ gives hope that novel and effective ways of doing this can be brought to patients sooner.”
[Source(s): For Such A Time As This – OrthoChallenge, PR Newswire]
