Exploring the Importance of Race and Gender Concordance Between Patients and Physical Therapists in Digital Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Conditions: Observational, Longitudinal Study.

Background: Race/ethnicity and gender concordance between patients and providers is a potential strategy to improve health care interventions. In digital health, where human interactions occur both synchronously and asynchronously, the effect of concordance between patients and providers is unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of race/ethnicity or gender concordance between patients and physical therapists (PTs) in engagement and the clinical outcomes following a digital care program (DCP) in patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Applying AI to Safely and Effectively Scale Care to Address Chronic MSK Conditions.

: The rising prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions has not been balanced by a sufficient increase in healthcare providers. Scalability challenges are being addressed through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in some healthcare sectors, with this showing potential to also improve MSK care. Digital care programs (DCP) generate automatically collected data, thus making them ideal candidates for AI implementation into workflows, with the potential to unlock care scalability.

Recovering Work Productivity in a Population With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Unveiling the Value and Cost-Savings of a Digital Care Program.

Objective: To investigate potential savings obtained from restoring productivity in employees with chronic MSK pain through a digital care program (DCP).

Methods: Secondary analysis of a prospective longitudinal study assessing cumulative savings overall or across several industry sectors by analyzing changes in Work Productivity and Activities Impairment (WPAI questionnaire).

Results: Employees from 50 U.

Digital Care Program for Urinary Incontinence in Females: A Large-Scale, Prospective, Cohort Study.

Female urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent in the US (>60%). Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) represents first-line care for UI; however, access and adherence challenges urge new care delivery models. This prospective cohort study investigates the feasibility and safety of a remote digital care program (DCP) combining education and PFMT with real-time biofeedback with an average duration of 10 weeks.

The potential of a multimodal digital care program in addressing healthcare inequities in musculoskeletal pain management.

Digital interventions have emerged as a solution for time and geographical barriers, however, their potential to target other social determinants of health is largely unexplored. In this post-hoc analysis, we report the impact of social deprivation on engagement and clinical outcomes after a completely remote multimodal musculoskeletal (MSK) digital care program managed by a culturally-sensitive clinical team. Patients were stratified in five categories according to their social deprivation index, and cross-referenced with their race/ethnicity, rurality and distance to healthcare facilities.

Comparing Digital to Conventional Physical Therapy for Chronic Shoulder Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Chronic shoulder pain (CSP) is a common condition with various etiologies, including rotator cuff disorders, adhesive capsulitis, shoulder instability, and shoulder arthritis. It is associated with substantial disability and psychological distress, resulting in poor productivity and quality of life. Physical therapy constitutes the mainstay treatment for CSP, but several barriers exist in accessing care.

Managing Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults Through a Digital Care Solution: Secondary Analysis of a Prospective Clinical Study.

Background: Aging is closely associated with an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions. Digital musculoskeletal care interventions emerged to deliver timely and proper rehabilitation; however, older adults frequently face specific barriers and concerns with digital care programs (DCPs).

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether known barriers and concerns of older adults impacted their participation in or engagement with a DCP or the observed clinical outcomes in comparison with younger individuals.

Randomized-controlled trial assessing a digital care program versus conventional physiotherapy for chronic low back pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is the world's leading cause of years lived with disability. Digital exercise-based interventions have shown great potential in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, promoting access and easing the economic burden. However, evidence of their effectiveness for chronic LBP (CLBP) management compared to in-person physiotherapy has yet to be unequivocally established.

Sleep Disturbance in Musculoskeletal Conditions: Impact of a Digital Care Program.

Background: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is highly prevalent worldwide, resulting in significant disability, and comorbid sleep disturbances. Digital therapy for MSK pain can provide significant improvements in care access, alongside pain and disability reductions. However, studies on the effect of such programs on sleep are lacking.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of a Remote Digital Musculoskeletal Program: An Ad Hoc Analysis from a Longitudinal Study with a Non-Participant Comparison Group.

Digital solutions have emerged as an alternative to conventional physiotherapy, particularly for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) management; however, its long-term effects remain largely unexplored. This study focuses on patients reporting CMP, assessing 1-year clinical outcomes after a multimodal digital care program (DCP) versus non-participants, who enrolled in the program but never engaged in a single exercise session or partook of the educational content made available to them. In this longitudinal study ad-hoc analysis, pain and functionality outcomes at 1-year reassessment were studied, focusing on the odds of reaching minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and, overall average reduction in both outcomes.

Impact on productivity impairment of a digital care program for chronic low back pain: A prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability in the United States and the main reason for absenteeism. Successful management of chronic LBP (CLBP) is dependent on multimodal evidence-based interventions. Digital interventions (DI) may ease accessibility to such treatments, increasing adherence, while reducing healthcare-related costs.

Fear Avoidance Beliefs in Upper-Extremity Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions: Secondary Analysis of a Prospective Clinical Study on Digital Care Programs.

Background: Fear-avoidance beliefs (FAB) have been associated with poorer prognosis and decreased adherence to exercise-based treatments in musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. However, the impact of high FAB on adherence and outcomes in upper extremity MSK (UEMSK) pain is poorly explored, particularly through exercise-based digital care programs (DCP).

Objective: Assess the adherence levels, clinical outcomes and satisfaction in patients with UEMSK pain and elevated FAB after a fully remote multimodal DCP.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Outcomes of a 12-Week Digital Rehabilitation Program for Musculoskeletal Pain: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain disproportionately affects people from different ethnic backgrounds through higher burden and less access to care. Digital care programs (DCPs) can improve access and help reduce inequities. However, the outcomes of such programs based on race and ethnicity have yet to be studied.

Digital Care Programs for Chronic Hip Pain: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Chronic hip pain is a cause of disability worldwide. Digital interventions (DI) may promote access while providing proper management. This single-arm interventional study assesses the clinical outcomes and engagement of a completely remote multimodal DI in patients with chronic hip pain.

Digital rehabilitation for hand and wrist pain: a single-arm prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Introduction: Wrist and hand represent the third most common body part in work-related injuries, being associated with long-term absenteeism. Telerehabilitation can promote access to treatment, patient adherence, and engagement, while reducing health care-related costs.

Objective: Report the results of a fully remote digital care program (DCP) for wrist and hand pain (WP).

Digital Rehabilitation for Elbow Pain Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Elbow musculoskeletal pain (EP) is a major cause of disability. Telerehabilitation has shown great potential in mitigating musculoskeletal pain conditions, but EP is less explored. This single-arm interventional study investigates clinical outcomes and engagement levels of a completely remote multimodal digital care program (DCP) in patients with EP.

Digital Rehabilitation for Acute Low Back Pain: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) has a lifetime prevalence of 70-80%. Access to timely and personalized, evidence-based care is key to prevent chronic progression. Digital solutions may ease accessibility to treatment while reducing healthcare-related costs.

Asynchronous and Tailored Digital Rehabilitation of Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Chronic shoulder pain (SP) is responsible for significant morbidity, decreased quality of life and impaired work ability, resulting in high socioeconomic burden. Successful SP management is dependent on adherence and compliance with effective evidence-based interventions. Digital solutions may improve accessibility to such treatments, increasing convenience, while reducing healthcare-related costs.

Digital Rehabilitation for Acute Ankle Sprains: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: Ankle sprains are one of the most prevalent soft-tissue injuries worldwide. Physical therapy, especially progressive exercise, has proven effective in improving function, while preventing recurrence.

Objective: We aim to present the results of a fully remote and digitally guided rehabilitation program for acute ankle sprains.

Digitally Assisted Versus Conventional Home-Based Rehabilitation After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of a 12-wk home-based digitally assisted rehabilitation program after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair against conventional home-based rehabilitation.

Design: The digital therapy group performed independent technology-assisted sessions complemented with 13 face-to-face sessions, and the conventional therapy group had conventional face-to-face physical therapy (30 sessions). Primary outcome was functional change between baseline and 12 wks, measured through the Constant-Murley score.

Medium-Term Outcomes of Digital Versus Conventional Home-Based Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Prospective, Parallel-Group Feasibility Study.

Background: Physical rehabilitation is recommended after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). With the expected increase in TKA over the next few decades, it is important to find new ways of delivering cost-effective interventions. Technological interventions have been developed with this intent, but only preliminary evidence exists regarding their validity, with short follow-up times.

Home-based Rehabilitation With A Novel Digital Biofeedback System versus Conventional In-person Rehabilitation after Total Knee Replacement: a feasibility study.

In-person home-based rehabilitation and telerehabilitation can be as effective as clinic-based rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but require heavy logistics and are highly dependent on human supervision. New technologies that allow independent home-based rehabilitation without constant human supervision may help solve this problem. This was a single-center, feasibility study comparing a digital biofeedback system that meets these needs against conventional in-person home-based rehabilitation after TKA over an 8-week program.

SUNCT syndrome: A cohort of 15 Portuguese patients.

Background: In this paper, we describe a cohort of patients with short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT), a rare trigeminal autonomic headache, managed in the outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital.

Methods: Patients were identified through review of individual records between January 1, 2008 and June 30, 2014.

Results: Fifteen patients were identified (eight males:seven females), with mean age at onset of 49.

Two-year follow-up with eslicarbazepine acetate: a consecutive, retrospective, observational study.

Purpose: Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a new generation voltage-gated sodium channel blocker. It has completed one phase II clinical trial and three phase III clinical trials, two of which with 1-year open label extensions. ESL was approved in 2009 by the European Medicines Agency as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalization.