NAPLES, Fla. (September 7, 2022) —Robert J. Zehr, M.D., of the Zehr Center for Orthopaedics (ZCO), has become the first Naples orthopaedic surgeon to introduce the use of an interactive app to his practice, to assist ZCO patients prepare for joint replacement surgery. The mymobility® app from Zimmer Biomet is a digital interactive care plan that allows patients to connect with the ZCO care team through their compatible iPhone, Apple Watch®, or Android smart phone. The app prompts patients to complete tasks assigned by Dr. Zehr as part of their prescribed care plan and allows the interactions needed to take an active role in optimizing their results and recovery. Users can message the ZCO’s physician assistant (PA) directly. The encrypted messaging feature allows patients to ask questions regarding their health, activity, care plan prognosis, and surgeon’s directions. Patients can also share photos, such as a snapshot of their surgical incision site for an assessment of their healing.
The customized care plans start pre-operatively and include both pre-operative and post-operative exercises, education, and questionnaires. The app sends reminders to the patient’s smart phone or Apple Watch to complete the assigned activities and chronicle their progress through the submission of surveys. Data is recorded on the patient’s dashboard and forwarded to the clinician dashboard, allowing Dr. Zehr and his PA to review the patient’s progress throughout the surgical journey.
“I have always held that the best-prepared patient is a well-educated one, a patient who takes an active role in their own health care. Historically, these are the patients who experience the most satisfactory outcomes from their surgical experience. We are excited to be able to offer this service to enhance their preparation for joint replacement surgery and their post-operative care,” said Dr. Zehr. “This is not a one-size-fits-all program, but a customized care plan. There may be some instances where using the app will not be appropriate or advantageous to the patient. We will assess every patient and offer it to those who can benefit from it.”
“This is our fifteenth year in business as a solo practice and the changes in and out of the operating room are myriad. Technology has ushered in so many improvements…” Zehr muses. “We adopt as many of those as we can to remain one of Naples’ leading orthopaedic practices.”