New Electronic Device Monitors Patient Compliance

The surgeon has control over—or at least knowledge about—his joint replacement patient during his one or two day hospital stay. But who (or what) is monitoring the patient’s condition once he returns home? If Consensus Orthopedics Inc. of El Dorado Hills, California, has its way it will be the firm’s new TracPatch.

TracPatch is, in Consensus Orthopedics words, “a groundbreaking wearable device that remotely monitors a patient’s post-surgical activities by continuously sending activity data, including range of motion (ROM), ambulation, exercise compliance, and wound site temperature trends.”

Operating on the belief that the first six weeks of at-home recovery are critical for a positive outcome, medical technicians place the TracPatch on the lower leg just below the joint line with a non-allergenic adhesive disposable pad.

The device is designed to enable any healthcare provider to collectively and continuously monitor their TracPatch patient’s progress. TracPatch will record patient’s range of motion ambulation, exercise compliance, and temperature trends regardless of what implant system is used.

The device transmits key post-surgical data points directly to a secure cloud-based platform, where healthcare providers can track patient progress on the TracPatch mobile app or web dashboard. The TracPatch app features an intuitive interface for easy operation on any smart phone or tablet with Bluetooth technology.

Shervin Oskouei, M.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, said “TracPatch can add tremendous value to the entire episode of care. This technology allows a healthcare provider insight into never-before-seen data for post-surgical rehabilitation. Being able to monitor your patient’s range of motion progress and exercise compliance daily is a game changer. TracPatch is making proactive care easy, so every patient has an excellent outcome.”

Curt Wiedenhoefer, president of Consensus Orthopedics, said, “For the first time in the history of joint surgery, we are using microelectronics to passively capture valuable post-surgical recovery information. Now, healthcare providers have objective data for every patient, especially during those critical six weeks of post-acute care.” The TracPatch wearable device system will be debuted at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.