BfArM grants Orthopy approval as the first digital health application (DiGA) for the treatment of knee injuries
13.09.2023 17:09
The app from the Hamburg e-health start-up Orthopy was successfully included in the DiGA directory of the Federal Office for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). With the preliminary listing, the partners Orthopy and Enovis say they are setting a milestone in the digitalization of health applications accompanying therapy for acute orthopedic injuries.
The app accompanies patients during and after orthopedic treatment and offers effective digital support in all phases of therapy. Orthopy helps patients advance their recovery in a self-determined manner with guided physiotherapeutic training and understandable knowledge contributions. With the Orthopy app, those affected can immediately begin accompanying therapy, regardless of the phase of the acute injury.
Who is entitled to benefits?
If you have diagnosed a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament or have damaged the meniscus, the Orthopy app can now be prescribed by any doctor with a prescription. Statutory health insurance companies cover the full costs for this. The prescription is an extra-budgetary service and is therefore budget-neutral for the prescribing doctor. As with all digital health applications, the patient must present the issued prescription to their health insurance company, which in turn verifies the claim. The patient then receives a 16-digit activation code that they need to activate the Orthopy app.
Features of the app
The app guides you through the different therapy phases with appropriate training units in the form of video, audio and image contributions. The patient can do this regardless of location and time. Additional information provides comprehensive information about all therapy-relevant topics. A progress analysis documents the course of therapy and is intended to serve as a motivational aid to increase adherence to therapy.
The birth of Orthopy
“From my own experience with two cruciate ligament tears, with doctor and physiotherapy appointments that were far too short and at the same time an immense flood of information, we saw an urgent need for the development of this app,” explains Lennart Schmiedel, co-founder at Orthopy, “not “Not only so that we can meet patients in the digital age, but also to give them the opportunity to actively and safely shape their health and the progress of their treatment.”
Benefit for those affected
By using the app regularly, patients can specifically train mobility, functionality, strength and coordination to promote rapid and lasting recovery. This gives them the opportunity to actively and continuously shape their therapy.
“Through our many years of experience in orthopedic and medical technology, we know that the market thrives on innovation and development,” says Dr. Boris Fröhlich, Managing Director Enovis DA-CH. “The digital health market is a rapidly growing area with an immense number of opportunities to offer our patients future-oriented solutions and to achieve measurably better therapy results.”