SWORD Health was inspired by the founder's personal experience with a lack of access to quality physical therapy after a car accident.
SWORD Health uses AI to generate personalized care plans in collaboration with physical therapists.
SWORD Health's clinical model for musculoskeletal care has the potential to expand its services to other conditions.
Deep dives
Inventing a Digital Therapist for Improved Patient Experience
V, the founder and CEO of Sword Health, invented the first digital therapist during his PhD in Electrical Engineering. Motivated by the challenges families face when recovering from physical pain, he focused his research on developing new technological solutions for physical therapy. Sword Health's digital therapist uses motion tracking technology to analyze patient movements and provide high-quality feedback. The company aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs in the MSK (musculoskeletal) industry, which faces a significant supply-demand gap. By combining AI technology with the expertise of doctors of physical therapy, Sword Health offers a convenient and effective solution for patients to receive clinical-grade care in their homes.
Addressing the Gaps in MSK Care Delivery
The traditional model of physical therapy is limited by the scarce availability and high cost of human physical therapists. Sword Health addresses these gaps by providing a scalable and accessible solution for MSK care. The company's digital therapist delivers therapeutic exercises to patients and analyzes their movements using a combination of sensors and video technology. By comparing patient movements with prescribed exercises and offering detailed feedback, Sword Health ensures the delivery of high-quality care at home. This innovative approach improves patient engagement, reduces costs, and aims to replace unnecessary surgeries and opioid prescriptions with high-density physical therapy. The company's comprehensive solution covers various MSK conditions, including back pain, joint pain, hip pain, and more.
Expanding Beyond MSK to Women's Physical Health
Building on their success in the MSK space, Sword Health has recently extended its offerings to address women's physical health issues. The company recognized the prevalence of pelvic pain among women and the lack of accessible care options. With their Bloom solution, Sword Health focuses on delivering clinical-grade care for pelvic pain and women's physical health. The technology allows for convenient at-home sessions, combining human expertise with AI-powered digital therapy. By expanding into women's health, Sword Health aims to bring attention to often overlooked problems and provide effective solutions for a broader range of physical health issues.
Combining Clinical Expertise and Technology for Optimal Care
Sword Health employs a human plus AI model, combining the expertise of doctors of physical therapy with advanced technology. Their clinical teams manage patient programs, using data from sensors and the digital therapist to provide precise and personalized care. By continuously measuring patient movements and analyzing the data, Sword Health can improve the efficiency and outcomes of their programs. They prioritize individualized care for each patient, ensuring a high level of engagement and clinical quality. This approach allows patients to recover in the comfort of their homes while receiving the necessary clinical expertise and support remotely.
Future Vision: Creating a Physical Health Company
Sword Health's long-term vision is to become a comprehensive physical health company, addressing a wide range of conditions beyond MSK and women's health. By leveraging technology and clinical expertise, they aim to solve physical limitations caused by neurological conditions, post-stroke recovery, and other areas. The company intends to revolutionize the healthcare industry by delivering high-quality care, reducing costs, and improving patient outcomes. Their focus on doing the right thing and making a positive impact fuels their determination to build a lasting company that transforms the future of healthcare.
In this episode, we sat down with Virgílio “V” Bento, Founder & CEO of SWORD Health. SWORD Health aims to bring world-class musculoskeletal (MSK) care to patients around the world by connecting members with physical therapists and digital therapists through a member app that combines sensor technology with telemedicine to prevent, relieve, and accelerate the healing of acute conditions, chronic pain, and post-surgical recovery. SWORD Health raised $163M in their latest Series D round led by Sapphire Ventures. This latest fundraising round brings SWORD’s valuation at $2B.
We discussed
Drawing inspiration for the genesis of SWORD Health after V’s brother got into a car accident and could not access the high quality physical therapy he needed for a speedy recovery.
Delivering precision care through AI that generates personalized care plans for each patient with the guidance of physical therapists.
How SWORD Health’s proven clinical model, created to address MSK-related issues, could target other conditions in the future.
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