Jefferson House Staff
A feasibility study is underway measuring the outcomes of home physical therapy conducted by a licensed physical therapist via an Internet-based video connection as compared to in-person therapy. Candidates for the study must be older than 60, have had a total knee replacement at Hartford Hospital and have undergone post-operative rehabilitation at Jefferson House.
While randomized trials have been conducted in Canada and Australia, this is the first study done in the context of a post- acute-care continuum in the United States.
Known as the Hartford HealthCare Telerehabilitation Program, the study is a collaboration of Jefferson House, Hartford HealthCare Rehabilitation Network, Hartford HealthCare Bone & Joint Institute, and Hartford Healthcare at Home.
The first patient, Charles Keeler, 85, had a right knee replacement in 2015 with a 30-day rehabilitation stay, followed by additional physical therapy at an outpatient clinic. In May 2016, he returned home with an iPad, a tripod and a Fitbit. Prior to leaving Jefferson House, he learned how to use the devices. Via secure virtual technology, Keeler had nine telerehab sessions with Kathleen Sullivan, MSPT, MHA, Jefferson House director of Rehabilitation and a co-investigator. Before the study began, a home assessment was done with the eHab app, which can capture joint angles and additional data from video sessions.
During a recent 45-minute session, the iPad and tripod were set up in a hallway so Sullivan could observe Keeler walking without his cane.
“Put equal weight on both knees,” she coached. “Nice job.”
Using the special app on the iPad, Keeler can access a video library of himself performing exercises at Jefferson House, share photos and video, and text message Sullivan. He also checks his Fitbit to see if he has reached his 2,000-step daily goal.
“I’m pretty lucky to be in this study,” he said. “And I don’t have to go out.”
Principal investigatePeterson said the goal is 27 telerehab patients, and recruitment is open. “This is not a replacement of traditional hands-on care; it’s an additional tool,” he said.
For more information about the study, call 860.696.2550 or click here.
Jefferson House, a department of Hartford Hospital, offers short-term/outpatient rehabilitation, skilled-nursing and palliative care. For more information about Jefferson House, located at 1 John H. Stewart Dr., Newington, click here.