An Ohio-based startup is partnering with a Greater Cincinnati health system to offer virtual physical therapy technology to patients.
The Christ Hospital Health Network has adopted IncludeHealth’s MSK-OS platform, which brings physical therapy services inside a patient’s home. The partnership is the first in the region and among the first overall for IncludeHealth, a digital musculoskeletal health startup founded by University of Cincinnati alumnus Ryan Eder, since it launched MSK-OS in September.
Using MSK-OS, providers at Christ Hospital can build personalized care plans in the cloud and deliver them directly to patients.
Real-time body tracking is provided on any device with a forward-facing camera — meaning no additional software or hardware is required. The platform is device-agnostic, meaning it can run on any device a patient has at home, including phones, tablets or computers.
Christ Hospital, which operates an acute care hospital in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of offices throughout the region, has been an early partner on MSK-OS and has been field testing the technology prior to its broader roll out.
Patrick Murray, director of rehabilitation services at Christ Hospital, said the technology extends a patient-provider relationship “well beyond the walls of the clinic.”
Patients can engage with their provider at anytime, anywhere, IncludeHealth said.
“In addition to providing real-time, one-on-one therapy sessions remotely at home, this system allows our therapists to monitor compliance through the camera technology and system alerts when patients are alone to ensure they are following their care plan safely and correctly for proper progression,” Murray said in a release.
When a connection is maintained at home, post-operative care improves because of increased plan adherence, leading to better long-term outcomes. Care plan adjustments can made remotely when necessary.
Toledo-based ProMedica, which operates 11 hospitals across Ohio and Michigan, also offers MSK-OS, the latest launch from IncludeHealth’s product portfolio. Eder told me multiple other health systems, national PT networks and orthopedic clinics have also deployed MSK-OS and those partnerships will be announced soon.
The company has been increasing pushing into the digital musculoskeletal space, pivoting from its earliest days. Eder’s initial product release was the IncludeStrength, an all-inclusive exercise machine.
“Health care is moving beyond an old paradigm where patients could only get care at pre-scheduled times and inconvenient places,” Eder said in a statement. “MSK-OS was built to facilitate the hybrid model, where providers can blend on-site and remote digital care with confidence and increased access.”
IncludeHealth is backed by Uptown-based seed fund CincyTech and counts Google, the U.S. Air Force, and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, among others, as partners.
IncludeHealth has 30 employees, half of which are based in Cincinnati and Columbus. The startup plans to double staff by the end of 2022.
