PLETHY IS A COMBINATION OF “GREEK AND GEEK”:  Mr. Sundaram was formerly a software tech executive, who entered the healthcare industry when his team partnered with large health systems. He noticed there were many challenges in the medical field, and saw a trend of care moving towards the home. He spent a lot of time speaking with physicians, hospital CEOs, and CFOs to understand what problems needed to be solved.

WHAT PROBLEM DOES PLETHY SOLVE?  Plethy’s focus is to enable an injured worker, or patient, to manage their care and have quicker recoveries. They deliver easy-to-follow, personalized, at-home care programs for all musculoskeletal (MSK) conditionals such as knee, ankle, hip, lumbar, shoulder, cervical, elbow, and wrist injuries. Traditionally, patients were told by their providers to perform home exercises to supplement their physical therapy, but the instructions were not easy to follow, and patients were not active participants in their recovery. This caused a lot of reinjuries such as “frozen shoulder,” slower recoveries, and more lost time from work. The providers could not confirm patients were following their at-home exercises.  Plethy developed a program and an app to coach patients on their home exercise program, and include the physical therapist/provider in the process.

IT IS NOT REPLACING PHYSICAL THERAPY; IT IS AUGMENTING IT:  Plethy’s program synchronizes the moment the patient starts physical therapy. The program is exactly what the physical therapist has instructed the patient to do at home. By precisely following the physical therapist’s orders, any potential confusion, or conflicting information is eliminated. The physical therapist can see what the patient is doing and if they are doing it correctly. The program also gives the physical therapist and provider insight into how the injured patient is recovering, and if any changes need to be made. The physical therapist logs into the same app as the patient, simplifying their workflow, and making them part of the process.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK? Every patient is assigned to a coach to onboard and train them. Every coach is bilingual, which removes barriers to learning. The coach is there for the patient every step of the way and supports them through the process. Initially, they are given a behavioral interview to tailor the program. Patients then receive a sensor, which they are to wear twice a day while they perform their exercises. The sensor is easy to use and can be used on any joint in the body. The app will track if the patient is performing their exercises and if they are doing them correctly. The program is designed to nudge patients to be active in their recovery. When accountability is part of the process, it increases participation.

THERE IS A COST TO THE PROGRAM, BUT RE-INJURIES AND SLOW RECOVERIES ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE:  When looking at the overall cost of the claim, it is crucial to look at it holistically. The monthly cost of the program for an engaged injured worker is less than what it costs for a week of traditional physical therapy. The program gives providers early insight into the injured worker’s recovery, and they can tailor the program if they find they are not progressing, or if they are at risk for reinjury. The costs of slow recovery or reinjury are significantly more than the cost of the program. When an injured worker is reinjured, that can entail additional surgery, lost time, and other treatment costs.

THE FUTURE OF CARE GOING FORWARD:   Mr. Sundaram recognizes that Plethy is “one sliver in the ecosystem” of delivering care and that the future of recovery is moving towards real-time data, and tailored solutions. He is passionate about helping people have optimal outcomes, and he wants to make the process better. If you would like further information, please go to www.plethy.com.