In rural communities, receiving timely, high-quality orthopedic care too often depends on geography. Patients recovering from joint replacement surgery or orthopedic injuries may live hours from the nearest physical therapy (PT) clinic. These access barriers lead to missed appointments, reduced adherence, and preventable complications that strain patients and providers alike. Force Therapeutics is helping hospitals rewrite that story.
As a leading patient engagement platform for musculoskeletal care, Force Therapeutics enables hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) to deliver virtual physical therapy and remote education at scale, ensuring patients can heal effectively at home, no matter where they live. With Force, virtual care is not a compromise. It’s an evidence-based, outcomes-driven extension of the hospital’s surgical episode care model.
Virtual Rehab in a Hybrid Care Model
Force Therapeutics transforms how hospitals deliver post-surgical physical therapy. Instead of asking patients to travel to appointments or rely on printed rehab packets, Force offers a hybrid digital experience that is both clinically validated and dynamic, combining the best of remote and in-person care.
Patients are enrolled in clinician-prescribed care pathways that include:
- Video-based rehabilitation exercises customized to their procedure and stage of recovery
- Smart reminders and milestones to stay on track
- Self-reported outcomes and pain tracking to guide ongoing care decisions
- Two-way communication with care teams for questions, concerns, or red flag symptoms
This level of engagement is both more accessible for remote patients and more actionable for providers.
Dual Benefits of Virtual PT: Supporting Patients and Empowering Providers
Virtual physical therapy is more than a convenience. It’s a practical solution that improves the experience for everyone involved in recovery.
For patients, Force helps overcome some significant hurdles that many face in traditional, in-person only physical therapy:
- Travel limitations: Especially for those in rural areas or with limited mobility, the drive to a clinic can be long, painful, or even unsafe.
- Time off work: Midday therapy appointments often require missed shifts, reduced income, and added stress.
- Childcare and caregiving responsibilities: Patients caring for children or elderly family members may find it nearly impossible to coordinate recurring in-person visits.
- Out-of-pocket costs: Travel, co-pays, and time lost can add up quickly, creating financial strain and reducing adherence.
Force Therapeutics eliminates these barriers. With video-based rehab, personalized daily tasks, and asynchronous communication, patients regain control of their recovery. They can complete physical therapy at home, on their schedule, while still receiving gold-standard clinical guidance. For many, this makes the difference between incomplete recovery and long-term success.
For providers, virtual PT also alleviates growing pressures on orthopedic care teams. By digitizing standard rehab protocols and automating nonclinical tasks, providers can focus their time and expertise on the most urgent cases–all while feeling confident that their rural or low-mobility patients are still getting the education and attention they need.
Force allows providers and PTs to:
- Scale therapy delivery without expanding physical infrastructure
- Triage patients remotely, identifying those who need escalation or in-person care
- Track engagement and outcomes across the entire recovery period
- Meet CMS requirements for patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and episode quality without manual follow-up
The result is a smarter, more sustainable care model that increases provider reach and improves patient outcomes.
Why Virtual Physical Therapy is Essential for Rural Patients
Rural health systems often operate under tighter margins, smaller teams, and increasing pressure to improve outcomes. Simultaneously, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasingly requiring hospitals to demonstrate quality performance across the surgical episode with pre- and post-operative metrics.
Force helps rural hospitals meet these demands by:
- Reducing preventable readmissions through proactive patient education and remote triage
- Shortening hospital length of stay with better preparation and discharge readiness
- Enabling safe discharge to home with confidence in each patient’s ability to recover independently
- Scaling physical therapy delivery without the need for additional in-person resources
Every part of the patient’s digital recovery journey is trackable, reportable, and built to align with value-based care models.
Recovery Shouldn’t Depend on Your ZIP Code
Force Therapeutics empowers hospitals to reach beyond their walls and deliver connected, compassionate care. Through virtual physical therapy and remote care management, rural hospitals can now offer patients the same gold-standard orthopedic recovery experience as any urban medical center. For today’s musculoskeletal care leaders, virtual PT is a strategic imperative.
