New Study by Team RWB and Sword Health Shows Significant Pain Reduction and Improved Depression Symptoms in Veterans Using Sword's AI Care Platform
Innovative research demonstrates significant improvements in pain care and accessibility for veterans
FLOYDS KNOBS, IN AND NEW YORK, August 01, 2024 – Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), America's leading health and wellness community for veterans, and Sword Health, the pioneer of AI Care, announced the publication of a single-arm pilot study in Healthcare Journal. The research, titled "Transforming Veteran Rehabilitation Care: Learnings from a Remote Digital Approach for Musculoskeletal Pain," examines how practical and relevant a remote, multimodal digital care program is for veterans who have musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and found that participants had a significant reduction in pain.
Musculoskeletal conditions, including back, shoulder, and neck pain, are a leading cause of limited duty and disability among American veterans, and studies extensively show comorbidities between MSP and mental distress.*1,2 To examine those effects and solutions, Team RWB and Sword Health partnered to provide 75 veterans experiencing MSP with complimentary access to Sword Thrive, a solution for back, joint, and muscle pain.
Key findings from the study include:
1. Reinforce earlier findings of high rates of MSP among veteran participants compared to non-veteran Sword participants
2. Significant improvements in all clinical outcomes, including substantial pain reduction
3. Reduction in moderate and mild depression symptoms in veteran participants
4. Potential to address critical access barriers to timely and high-quality care for veterans with MSP
5. High program acceptance and engagement among veteran participants
“The challenge of helping veterans, who face chronic pain and depression, is exactly the reason Sword was developed, and we’re honored to be able to serve these Team RWB members,” said Dr. Vijay Yanamadala, Chief Medical Officer, Sword Health. “We’re proud of the results that show those who have lingering injuries and pain, often from their service, found relief when using our solution. The results of this study show the transformative power of our solutions.”
The study, in which 61 eligible veterans participated - all Team RWB members - showed an impressive 82% completion rate. This high level of engagement underscores the potential of digital health solutions to meet the unique needs of the veteran population.
“This study and its findings reinforces Team RWB’s commitment to innovative solutions that support veterans' health and well-being," said Mike Erwin, Executive Director of Team RWB. "Partnering with Sword Health has demonstrated that digital care can be a game-changer in addressing the chronic pain issues faced by many in our veteran community. Providing 75 veterans with free access to cutting-edge technology has helped them reduce their pain and improve their lives. We’ve seen incredible, life changing results among some of these veterans."
This research represents a significant step forward in understanding how digital health solutions can address healthcare inequities and improve the quality of life for veterans struggling with chronic pain.
This study follows Sword Health’s recent launch of the Sword Foundation, which works to improve health inequities by bringing the company's innovative AI Care platform to underserved communities. Through the foundation, Team RWB and Sword will continue to work together to provide the Thrive solution to selected members of their veteran population.
About Team Red, White & Blue
Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010, dedicated to forging America's leading health and wellness community for veterans. Team RWB supports veterans in their health and wellness journey by providing events, training, and programming to build a healthier lifestyle. With over 200,000 members, Team RWB is a thriving community making a positive impact. To learn more about Team RWB and its mission, please visit teamrwb.org.
About Sword Health
As the pioneer in AI Care, Sword Health makes world-class care available anytime, anywhere, by combining human clinicians and AI. Starting with physical pain, then pelvic health, and now a full platform of solutions, Sword is available through more than 3,000 employers, health plans, and public sector organizations, saving those clients an average of $3 in healthcare costs for every dollar invested in Sword. With a mission to free two billion people from pain, the company has raised more than $300M from leading venture firms, including Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, and Founders Fund. It was most recently valued at $3 billion and ranked the 26th fastest-growing U.S. company on the Inc. 5000 list. Learn more at www.swordhealth.com.
References
