Omada Health Extends Science of Behavior Change to Musculoskeletal Treatments Through Patented Computer Vision Technology

• First-to-market innovation reinvents musculoskeletal care by aiding physical therapists with computer vision
• Evernorth, the health services business that includes Express Scripts, includes Omada MSK treatment in Digital Health Formulary

Omada Health announced that they are enhancing its musculoskeletal (MSK) personalized virtual physical therapy treatment for members with new computer vision technology that allows data to inform treatment decisions. Merging computer vision technology with Omada’s evidence-based approach will arm physical therapists (PT) with meaningful, accurate data that leads to faster recovery times, better care and improved health outcomes.

Unlike existing virtual physical therapy solutions that rely on the use of sensors or wearable technology with limited capabilities, Omada Health’s proprietary computer vision technology provides physical therapists with a detailed look at a patient’s movements and range of motion for any body part. The combination of precise quantitative data and videos of a patient’s movement patterns is incredibly valuable as it highlights changes in range of motion objectively and provides qualitative data for PTs to incorporate into designing an appropriate care plan. This innovation establishes a new standard of virtual care for patients.

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“The computer vision technology that we have developed has the potential to reinvent the way we think about musculoskeletal care,” said Todd Norwood, PT, DPT, director of clinical services at Omada Health. “By leveraging the data collected with digital tools in tandem with programs that are based in the science of behavior change, we can help people improve their health both short and long term. This approach helps us reach our goals of increasing ROI for customers and members through continuous improvements in care.”

Evernorth, the health services business of Cigna Corporation that includes Express Scripts, will include Omada’s MSK personalized virtual physical therapy treatment in its Digital Health Formulary – making the treatment quickly and easily accessible to people managing MSK issues across the country. With this inclusion, Omada will continue having the broadest range of programs on Evernorth’s industry-leading platform.

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“Evernorth’s Digital Health Formulary is designed to help our clients by taking the guesswork out of searching for an effective solution for patients living with chronic pain or other conditions,” said Mark Bini, chief patient experience officer, Evernorth. “We carefully assess every solution we add to the Digital Health Formulary for clinical effectiveness, affordability and user experience – and Omada’s latest treatment options for patients living with MSK will be an important addition.”

More than 1.7 billion people struggle with MSK issues around the world, and according to the American Physical Therapy Association, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in common musculoskeletal back and neck pain. Omada’s MSK program, incidentally, has seen an eight-fold increase in growth over the past year alone (Q1 2020 – Q1 2021). Currently, most remote care options for MSK rely upon sensors that can deliver inaccurate results and have extended turnaround time for delivery, causing delayed care and an increase in patient recovery time. Unlike sensors, computer vision technology provides physical therapists with the most accurate and timely data to help their patients make the most of their MSK care, reducing costs and creating better outcomes.

This innovation comes on the heels of Omada’s new MSK Prevention Program: an individualized program intended to reduce the risk of future MSK injury for members which was designed by physical therapists. The MSK Prevention Program is based on a thorough safety screener and a series of questions around each member’s physical activity, daily routines and job functions. Because care is an ongoing effort to avoid the risk of new or repeat injuries, the MSK Prevention Program is a tailored member experience complete with exercises and self-guided content to reduce the risk of injury and promote lasting behavior change.

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