Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ahmed Siddiqi has successfully harnessed the power of digital care platforms to improve patient care and boost revenue at his New Jersey-based practice, Orthopaedic Institute Brielle Orthopaedics. Having embarked on the journey of digital and remote care models in 2020, Siddiqi’s practice is on track to amass over $100,000 in remote therapeutic management reimbursement by the end of 2023, a testament to the efficacy of digital healthcare and the increasing need for remote patient monitoring.

Key Points:

Dr. Siddiqi’s venture into digital care was driven not only by the pandemic but also by his drive to optimize patient engagement and monitoring post-surgery. Traditional post-surgery protocols have been plagued with inefficiencies and limitations, from piles of forms to in-person physical therapy sessions, not to mention the potential for adverse events like emergency department visits and readmissions. Siddiqi sought to leverage digital care management to streamline these processes and enhance patient care.

His quest for a robust digital care solution led him to Force Therapeutics’ digital care platform in late 2022. Unlike other platforms that were either not specifically tailored for orthopedic care or failed to effectively engage patients, Force Therapeutics offered a solution that could meet Siddiqi’s needs for long-term remote patient monitoring and direct communication with patients. This marked a significant shift from in-person to home-based care, including virtual check-ins, education, and physical therapy.

Furthermore, the new Remote Therapeutic Management (RTM) codes have opened up new opportunities for reimbursement for activities that Siddiqi’s practice had already been doing. By monitoring patient-reported outcomes and interacting with patients remotely, the practice is now eligible for reimbursement, creating an incentive to enhance remote patient engagement. This has not only improved the practice’s visibility into patient recovery but also helped reduce adverse events, increase patient satisfaction, and scale patient volumes efficiently.

The implementation of the digital care platform has yielded significant results. Despite the novelty of RTM reimbursement, Siddiqi’s practice has already seen reimbursement nearing $34,000 from September 2022 to January 2023, and anticipates this figure to reach $100,000 by the end of the year. The platform has also facilitated substantial cost savings per care episode, contributing to an expected financial impact of $2-3 million over a year.

Ultimately, Siddiqi advises that the success of such an endeavor hinges on choosing a solution with a proven track record of exceptional patient engagement. As healthcare continues to evolve in the digital landscape, providers need to rethink their approach to patient care, and digital platforms like Force Therapeutics provide a viable pathway for this transformation.

Source: HealthcareIT News – Digital care platform helps doc trim costs, increase patients and boost revenue