(Research Hub Theater) Implementing a Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Program in a Sports Medicine Clinic: A Pilot Study

Background and/or Objectives: To evaluate the implementation of a Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) program and to assess patient compliance and clinical outcomes.

Design: Retrospective Case Series

Setting: Outpatient private practice clinic

Participants: Thirty consecutively enrolled patients in the RTM program were included.

Interventions: Patients with various musculoskeletal complaints were evaluated in the clinic and those who were thought to benefit from a strengthening program were offered conventional physical therapy or a digital exercise therapy program using RTM.

Main Outcome Measures: The medical records of the patients that chose the RTM program were retrospectively reviewed to determine compliance with the program and changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain and functional scores over the course of the RTM program. Patients that completed less than 2 RTM sessions were excluded from the analysis.

Results: Of the 30 consecutively enrolled patients, 26 patients (87%) completed the initial assessment and 23 patients (77%) had at least two PROMIS measures collected. Of the 23 patients that completed the program, the diagnoses varied: gluteal tendinopathy (n=8, 35%), lateral epicondylitis (n=3, 13%), knee osteoarthritis (n=3, 13%), hamstring tendinopathy (n=2, 9%), rotator cuff tendinopathy (n=2, 9%), Achilles tendinopathy (n=2, 9%), patellar tendinopathy (n=1, 4%), chronic Osgood Schlatter disease (n=1, 4%), and 1 non-specified wrist pain (n=1, 4%). The average number of sessions completed were 31.2 before being discharged from the program. The average duration of the program was 15.7 weeks. The average change in PROMIS pain scores was -4.0 points (95% confidence interval [-6.8, -1.2]) and the average change in PROMIS functional score was 3.5 points (95% confidence interval [1.1, 5.9]), with both scores meeting minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds.

Conclusions: The use of RTM resulted in clinically significant pain reduction and functional improvements compared to baseline levels. RTM may be a promising alternative to physical therapy in certain cases. However, further investigation is warranted to improve generalizability.