360 Patient Partner Program

Australia supports an aging population. With this comes the burden of increasing rates of joint arthroplasty and surgical outcome dissatisfaction - for example, 1 in 5 patients are unhappy after a knee replacement. The traditional model of care for joint arthroplasty is resource heavy due in part to the requirement of extended hospital stay for rehabilitation. This is unsustainable for both private health insurers and the healthcare system. Additionally, research demonstrates that a significant contributor to post-operative dissatisfaction is the patients' expectations which fall short due to inadequate and poorly timed patient education and support.

The Patient Partner Program provides patients with individualised and surgeon lead rehab-from-home option, exceeding typical patient experience and outcomes following joint arthroplasty. It manages patient expectations and aligns them with surgeon goals well before their date of surgery and encourages patients to return home post operatively, unburdening hospitals. The Program delivers bespoke treatment plans based on a patient's unique physiology, health goals and rate of recovery. Data gathered during the delivery of the Program is fed back into 360 Med Care's systems, improving care options and informing decision making that impacts future surgical plans.

The Program impacts a patient's quality of life by allowing them to recover in a familiar environment while promoting independence and ownership of their recovery goals. Patients that live outside of metro areas can use the Program easily, ensuring they have access to the same level of care. Commercially, the use of the Program as opposed to inpatient rehab programs significantly reduces costs on healthcare system and private health insurance, without compromising patient outcomes. Surgeons using the Program have reported that it offers a point of differentiation from other orthopods in their ability to reach patients and offer ongoing care.

The primary feature of the 360 Patient Partner Program is its ability to consistently deliver patient care while adapting to a variety of demands including stakeholder expectations, geography, motivation, body types and surgical outcomes. From a patient perspective, there is a higher degree of satisfaction after surgery and a decline in post-operative complications. This is largely achieved through the highly interactive and program flexibly facilitated by the blended delivery of face to face and telemedicine sessions. Each patient's experience is bespoke and delivered by a physio they build rapport with. For surgeons, the Program is centred around their specific preferences and protocols - essentially acting as an extension of their clinic. The continuity of care is extended due to the direct link between patient, physio and surgeon via e-monitoring services. Health funds are able expand their offerings to their customer base while taking solace that the standard of care is upheld. The physiotherapists that deliver this Program benefit from an expansion of their skills and knowledge base beyond typical manual therapy. They may even be present during and participate in their patient's surgery, helping deliver a surgical plan and monitoring the surgery to adjust the post-operative rehabilitation plan as needed.