HIP IDEA IN REHAB CARE
Newton-Wellesley teams up with Apple technology
Patients at Newton-Wellesley Hospital will soon be putting Apple technology to the test to improve care with hip and knee replacement surgeries.
The patients will use an app called my mobility on an Apple Watch and iPhone to track their progress before and after the knee or hip replacement surgery. These trends are then collected on a dashboard where nurses and surgeons can keep tabs on their patients and make sure they are recovering properly.
“We view this as an opportunity to perhaps decrease the length of stay in the hospital, especially if we can monitor them at home,” said Dr. Tim Foster, senior vice president of surgical services at Newton Wellesley.
Foster said that before surgery, patients can use the app to ask questions, view instructions and watch educational videos. They will also receive alerts from their surgeon reminding them not to eat before surgery or to get plenty of rest.
Foster said after surgery, patients will continue using the Apple Watches to track the number of steps they take, their heart rate and how long they are active throughout the day. They will communicate with their surgeons through the app as well, while still maintaining inperson appointments.
“I think it really helps to get them engaged in their own recovery,” Foster said. “I think the patients will be intrigued by the technology.”
According to Foster, the technology could decrease the cost of outpatient care while improving the patient experience. He said in the future, the study could expand to help sports medicine patients as well as those undergoing spinal surgery.
To participate in the study, Foster said patients must have their own iPhone, but will be given an Apple Watch. They must demonstrate the ability to use the app properly to qualify for the study and must be at least 18 years old.
The app was created through a collaboration with Apple and Zimmer Biomet, a health care company in Indiana. “We are incredibly excited to work with Apple to transform the knee and hip replacement experience for patients and surgeons,” said Bryan Hanson, president and CEO of Zimmer Biomet.
“We are proud to enable knee and hip replacement patients to use their own data and share it with their doctors seamlessly, so that they can participate in their care and recovery in a way not previously possible through traditional in-person visits,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.