Medtech firm Smith+Nephew and Huma, a digital health company, have launched their remote patient monitoring app for orthopaedics surgery.
About 250,000 patients are on waiting lists for orthopaedic operations as a result of COVID-19 complications, with UK surgery running at 50% of its usual capability. In a quest to restart safe surgery, Smith+Nephew and Huma have developed a way for the surgeons to prepare their patients for operations via remote patient monitoring.
The conducted research has revealed the positive impact that better preparation can have on patients as it reduces recovery time. Digital services as this offer tailored and timely information and reminders that help patients in their preparation.
Smith+Nephew provided orthopaedic expertise, while Huma, the digital technology, builds an app that helps patients move safely through their total joint replacement surgery. Pre-surgery guidance and free access to virtual rehabilitation resources are made available for patients. They can also have video calls with the surgical team, through which clinicians can monitor their recovery and leverage the health data to determine how fit are patients for surgery.
Importantly, a COVID-19 symptom tracker checks for self-reported signs of contraction of the virus before being taken to the hospital. It also gives reassurance to patients and staff after discharge.
The Managing Director, UK, Ireland & Nordics at Smith+Nephew, Simon Tarry, said, “Our new app is a major development which we believe will make an immediate impact in the surgical space. Partnering with Huma, we have created a sophisticated app that allows Smith+Nephew to support an end-to-end platform and solution around the prosthesis itself. In the short-term, the app will support our mission to get patients back into surgery safely during the pandemic, but the longer-term capabilities of the app could transform how surgeons and patients manage their surgical pathways in the future.”
The Founder and CEO of Huma, Dan Vahdat, added, “Huma is currently using its’ hospital at home’ platform to change the narrative of how we care for at-risk patients via national projects in the UK, UAE and Germany. With Smith+Nephew, we’re showing that our technology can transform how we look after patients going through surgery. Our adaptable remote patient monitoring platform is being used for people facing a wide variety of diseases. This is all part of our vision for a world where patients can live their life to the fullest, despite their surgery or illness.”
The patient monitoring app for orthopaedic surgery is currently being tried by surgeons and patients across several UK hospitals. The plan is to immediately roll it out to a further ten NHS and private hospitals in the coming weeks.
