Impact of TheraNow Telehealth Physical Therapy Program on Hospital Readmission Rate Post Major Joint Replacement Surgery
Authors: Kohli Richa , Gupta Ashok 
Published: February 2022

Background: Hip and knee replacement are two of the most commonly performed major joint replacement surgeries in orthopedic surgery. Both procedures successfully eliminate pain, correct the deformity, and improve patient mobility to regain quality of life and perform daily life activities. Rehabilitation and recovery are crucial during the 12 weeks following any major joint replacement surgery. Most people are discharged from the hospital 2–3 days after surgery to continue rehabilitation. Specific exercises aim to improve the joint’s mobility, improve strength and restore patient function.

The primary cause of hospital readmissions after major joint replacement is infection and can hinder the patient’s functional recovery. Therefore, a comprehensive program is essential to reduce infections and promote recovery. The virtual rehabilitation program is an evolving approach to optimize care and compliance. One such program is the TheraNow telehealth physical therapy program. TheraNow integrates artificial intelligence-powered tools and highly trained physical therapists in a care-navigation platform specially designed for rehabilitation after major joint replacement surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the TheraNow Telehealth Physical Therapy program on patient rehabilitation and hospital readmission rate following major joint replacement surgery.

Materials and Methods: Forty patients participated in this particular post-joint replacement virtual rehabilitation program on TheraNow application for an online and in-home physical therapy program. The program incorporated three phases of rehabilitation: pre-rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, and functional rehabilitation. A licensed physical therapist evaluated the patient via a synchronous video conferencing visit, at which time the Physical Therapist developed a customized program for each patient. Every patient booked appointment according to their own choices of time slots, and the same licensed physical therapists administered the entire program from start to finish for each patient. Physical Therapists provided customized therapy to every patient with a duration of 45-60 minutes of the personalized session. In addition, this study tracked and identified all hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge from the patients’ medical records.

Results: The overall mean age of the study population was 65.20+8.41. Out of the 40 enrolled patients, 3 (7.50%) are 41-50 years old, while the majority (42.5%) belonged to 61-70 years of age followed by 71-80 years (27.5%) and 51-60 years (22.5%). 23 (57.5%) were female, while 17 (42.5%) were males. Only one re-admission happened due to surgical site infection in the first 30 days after the surgery under the program brought the readmission rate to 2.5%.

Conclusion: The study reported lower hospital readmission rate after major joint replacement surgeries. The TheraNow Telehealth Physical Therapy program reported a 2.5% readmission rate in the first 30 days of the physical therapy program for major joint replacement surgeries as compared to the previous literature where they have reported hospital readmission rate of 3.3%- 5.6% in 30 days post-surgical follow-up.