It is a harsh reality that veterans in the United States confront enduring physical and emotional challenges stemming from their military service. Effective healthcare solutions, especially in pain management, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, are crucial for their recovery. Meeting these needs is essential to honoring their service and offering them the necessary support for overall health and a fulfilling post-service experience.
BROOKFIELD, Conn., Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — United States veterans exemplify unparalleled honor and sacrifice, having dedicated their lives to serving and protecting the nation, often enduring significant physical and emotional hardships in the process. Approximately 4.7 million veterans in the United States have a service-connected disability, highlighting the critical need for effective rehabilitation to support their health and well-being. (1) “Prioritizing the care of military veterans and their physical injuries is essential to ensure their quality of life, as it honors their service and sacrifices” states Steve Siegel, President of ROMTech. He explains that the company is on a mission to guarantee that every veteran in the country has access to the proven benefits of physical rehabilitation from the comfort of their homes.
Returning from deployment, many wounded veterans face a challenging journey towards recovery and reintegration, with rehabilitation being pivotal in supporting them as they regain functionality, adjust to new challenges, and ultimately enhance their quality of life. Physical therapy for veterans facing surgeries such as hip or knee replacements, and Cardiac Rehabilitation for those dealing with heart disease plays a crucial role in veteran care, but accessibility to this kind of treatment may be limited due to several factors.
Understanding the Impact of Physical Injuries on Veterans’ Lives
Physical injuries significantly impact veterans in numerous ways, affecting their physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. Examples on how these injuries affect veterans include but are not limited to: (2)
Physical Health:
- Chronic Pain: Many veterans suffer from chronic pain due to injuries sustained during service. In fact, chronic pain is more prevalent and of greater intensity in Veterans than in the general population. This can lead to long-term disability and a decreased ability to perform daily activities. (3)
- Mobility Issues: Amputations, spinal cord injuries, and degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, including Osteoarthritis, can severely limit mobility, making it challenging for veterans to move freely and maintain independence.
- Secondary Health Problems: Physical injuries can lead to other health issues, such as cardiovascular problems, obesity, and diabetes, due to reduced physical activity and the stress of managing chronic pain.
- Opioid Use: Managing Chronic Pain or postoperative pain while limiting the risk of opioid usage is an important factor to consider. Use of opioids, either by themselves or in combination with other drugs, is a major driver of the drug overdose crisis in the United States. (4)
Social and Economic Impact:
- Employment Challenges: Physical disabilities can limit job opportunities and make it difficult for veterans to find and maintain employment, leading to financial instability.
- Social Isolation: Mobility issues and health struggles can lead to social isolation, as veterans may find it difficult to engage in social activities or maintain relationships.
Effective rehabilitation and comprehensive support systems are essential to help veterans manage these effects and improve their quality of life.
Empowering Veterans Through In-Home Rehabilitation
Proven rehabilitation procedures and physical therapy are crucial in veteran’s recovery, aiding in recovery from physical injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord injuries, amputations, and orthopedic issues by improving mobility, strength, and functionality. They are significant for pain management, offering non-pharmacological methods to manage chronic pain, reduce reliance on pain medications, and enhance quality of life. Additionally, they help prevent secondary conditions by promoting regular physical activity, preventing complications like muscle atrophy, joint stiffness, and cardiovascular issues. (5)
“Disruptive technologies offer promising solutions to the complex challenges faced by veterans with physical injuries and heart disease,” explains Siegel. “By enhancing rehabilitation outcomes and fostering remote patient-provider communication, these innovations empower veterans to regain physical function, manage chronic pain, and restore their sense of well-being, ultimately improving their quality of life.”
Challenges Facing VA Healthcare in Serving Injured Veterans
Despite the mission and dedication of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide healthcare, it faces numerous challenges in delivering adequate care to injured veterans. Veterans often have complex health needs, including multiple physical issues, which require comprehensive and coordinated care. The high demand for VA healthcare services can sometimes exceed available resources, which may lead to longer wait times. (6) Additionally, administrative backlogs can occasionally delay access to benefits.
“From our experience working with veterans, one thing that is very evident is that many of them don’t live around the metropolis or near big cities. And they struggle with mobility issues, so getting to the facilities to see their physicians is a huge issue in many cases”, Siegel stresses. According to the VAs Office of Rural Health (ORH), 4.7 million Veterans live in rural areas, and more than 2.8 million of those Veterans rely on the VA for their health care. (7)
These challenges illustrate the multifaceted issues the VA faces in providing adequate care to injured veterans, along with those needing access to cardiac rehabilitation, highlighting the need for ongoing reforms and adopting emerging technology and alternatives to traditional care.
ROMTech’s PortableConnect Revolutionizes Home Rehabilitation
ROMTech’s flagship product, the PortableConnect, is an American-made rehabilitation system delivered to the veteran’s home and controlled by their clinician that combines telemedicine with physical therapy to provide patients with a convenient and effective means of recovering from Orthopedic and Cardiovascular surgeries, and other injuries at home. (8) This device allows patients to perform prescribed activities, track their progress, and communicate with healthcare providers remotely, improving overall recovery outcomes and patient satisfaction. It is the subject of peer-reviewed studies and has been proven effective in rehabilitating over 75,000 patients nationwide.
Recent studies have found that rehabilitation using a home-based, clinician-controlled device after total knee arthroplasty significantly improves knee movement, reduces pain, and enhances knee function compared to traditional physical therapy. (9)
“The PortableConnect is revolutionizing physical therapy care for veterans by bringing therapy directly to their homes,” explains Siegel. “This innovative device eliminates the need for travel, ensuring veterans, especially those in remote areas, receive high-quality care. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, the PortableConnect supports the recovery process, allowing veterans to perform their therapy conveniently.”
This disruptive technology provides timely access to physical therapy equipment, supporting patients with healthier recovery options that often reduce reliance on medication. ROMTech has already facilitated rapid recoveries for more than 150 veterans using this breakthrough technology, and it is increasingly being utilized by many VA facilities across the US.
Robbie Fitzgerald, a veteran of both the Army and Air Force, explains how the PortableConnect has changed his life. Injured in 1989, he faced long-term knee issues, culminating in bilateral knee replacements. ROMTech’s device played a pivotal role in his recovery, offering a pain-free, efficient, and narcotic-free rehabilitation experience.
“The first day using it I did 5 therapy sessions on the device and felt great. My pain was gone, and I was able to stop taking narcotics entirely, and I haven’t taken any since,” Robbie emphasized. “If I had to choose just one thing to use for recovery after surgery, I would choose the ROMTech PortableConnect over anything else, including traditional in-person physical therapy. It made the most impact in my post-surgery therapy.”
Patients using ROMTech’s PortableConnect required fewer prescription painkillers compared to their counterparts using traditional methods. (10) This decreased reliance on narcotics can contribute to lower addiction rates in the future.
Today, Robbie now enjoys hiking without pain, a testament to the effectiveness of the ROMTech PortableConnect. His experience underscores the device’s potential to revolutionize post-operative rehabilitation, offering a faster, pain-free recovery and improved outcomes for knee replacement.
Cardiac Rehab Technology: Transforming Recovery
In addition to physical rehabilitation, ROMTech’s innovative solutions extend to cardiac rehabilitation, offering comprehensive support to veterans recovering from heart-related conditions.
“I am doing much better thanks to ROMTech. I’d give 10 out of 10 stars for overall satisfaction with my Cardiac Rehab program. The therapy was a valuable resource, and I really enjoyed the program. I’ve lost weight since completing the program and I am feeling fantastic,” shares a cardiac patient.
ROMTherapy™ tracks vitals while patients exercise at home, offering on-screen, face-to-face evaluation and monitoring with highly trained Cardiac Rehab Specialists. Studies show that individuals who attend 36 sessions have a 47% lower risk of death and a 31% lower risk of heart attack than those who attend only one session. (11)
ROMTech and Lovell Government Services Partner to Transform Veteran Healthcare
In a transformative move to enhance federal healthcare, Lovell Government Services and ROMTech have partnered to provide innovative solutions to systems like the Veterans Health Administration, the Military Health System, and the Indian Health Service. As ROMTech’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business vendor, Lovell will facilitate access to these customers through federal contracting systems.
“ROMTech’s PortableConnect aims to modernize medical rehabilitation, providing aid at some critical points in the VA system to generate more success in treating our veterans,” said Siegel. This partnership ensures veterans receive effective, convenient, and timely care, improving their recovery outcomes and overall well-being. Providing advanced at-home therapy options, ROMTech is enhancing accessibility and quality of care for veterans nationwide with the PortableConnect.
About ROMTech:
Combining innovation with cutting-edge telemedicine technology, ROMTech® (ROM Technologies Inc.) achieves unparalleled patient outcomes. Based in Brookfield, Connecticut, and founded in 2013, ROMTech® delivers enhanced diagnostics and quicker postoperative recovery at a decreased cost, remotely connecting clinicians and patients across the country. Their patented and groundbreaking rehabilitation technology is designed to serve a variety of indications and improve patient outcomes, cutting the cost of care, and overhauling the way postoperative orthopedic & cardiac rehabilitation are delivered. Named one of the top 25 companies in Connecticut, the company’s inclusion serves as a springboard for further advancements and cements its role as an innovator in the healthcare technology sector. It paves the way for continued growth, partnerships, and transformative developments that have established them as developers of The Modern Technology of Medical Rehabilitation®. For more information visit https://romtech.com/.
References
1. “Interagency Task Force on Military and Veterans Mental Health” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 1 Sept. 2017, mentalhealth.va.gov/about/data-reporting/itf-data.asp.
2. Walker, Lauren E, et al. “Longitudinal Mental Health Outcomes of Combat-Injured Service Members.” Brain and Behavior, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 11 May 2021, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8119815/.
3. “VA Research on Pain Management.” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Sept. 2020.
4. “Drug Overdose Death Rates.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 14 May 2024, nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates.
5. Munda, Tanushree. “Military Physical Therapy: Everything You Need to Know.” Mantra Care, 31 Jan. 2023, mantracare.org/physiotherapy/pt/military-physical-therapy/.
6. Rasmussen, Petra, and Carrie M Farmer. “The Promise and Challenges of VA Community Care: Veterans’ Issues in Focus.” Rand Health Quarterly, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 June 2023, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10273892/.
7. “Rural Health.” research.va.gov, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019, research.va.gov/topics/rural_health.cfm.
8. “Romtech and the PortableConnect Help Patients with Advanced Telemedicine Technology.” GlobeNewswire News Room, ROMTech, 1 Nov. 2021, globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/11/01/2324653/0/en/ROMTech-And-The-PortableConnect-Help-Patients-With-Advanced-Telemedicine-Technology.html.
9. Summers, Spencer H., et al. “A Home-Based, Remote-Clinician-Controlled, Physical Therapy Device Leads to Superior Outcomes When Compared to Standard Physical Therapy for Rehabilitation after Total Knee Arthroplasty.” The Journal of Arthroplasty, Oct. 2022, doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2022.10.009.
10. “Romtech and Lovell Announce Partnership to Increase Access to the Portableconnect® At-Home Rehab System for VA, DOD.” WATE 6 On Your Side, 26 Mar. 2024, wate.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/698582702/romtech-and-lovell-announce-partnership-to-increase-access-to-the-portableconnect-at-home-rehab-system-for-va-dod/.
11. “Cardiac Rehabilitation at a Glance.” Millionhearts.hhs.gov, Million Hearts®, 22 Apr. 2020, millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/factsheets/cardiac.html.
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