Digital Versus In-Person Physical Therapy in Adults With Musculoskeletal Conditions: Retrospective Matched-Cohort Analysis of Surgery and Low-Value Surgical Rates
This real-world study demonstrated, for the first time, that participation in a digital MSK program was associated with substantially lower incidences of both overall and low-value surgeries compared to those who opted for in-person physical therapy among commercially-insured adults. These findings suggest that digital MSK programs can mitigate access barriers, promote adherence to guideline-concordant care, and reduce unnecessary procedures, including among underserved populations.
Authors
- Ashirbad Pradhan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1175-7984)
- Fabíola Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8981-7049)
- Virgílio Bento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6025-8511)
- Beatriz Helena Domingues
- Vijay Yanamadala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2456-5888)
- Dora Janela (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8440-2044)
- Ana P. Pereira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3470-253X)
- Steven Paul Cohen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5928-2127)
- Fernando Dias Correia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8028-926X)
- Carolina Marramaque (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5153-9303)
- Kevin C. Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4321-0414)
- Luke Belz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6176-6822)
- Catarina Zidde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4700-773X)
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (US)
- HealthCare Partners Medical Group (US)
- DeVry College (US)
- Quinnipiac University (US)
- Hartford Financial Services (United States)
- New York College of Health Professions (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2196/82573
- Primary Topic
- Healthcare cost, quality, practices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00