For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Millet
(216) 570-5020
(October 25, 2023, Orlando-FL and Johannesburg-South Africa) – Genie Health (formerly PT Genie, LLC) is proud to announce its first commercial international expansion of its flagship digital musculoskeletal (MSK) platform. Genie Health is partnering with Discovery Health in South Africa to deliver the country’s first virtual MSK platform via a new Health App which launched this morning to key digital and technology media at the Discovery Global Headquarters in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Customers of Discovery Health will have exclusive access to the Genie Health virtual MSK solution. Physical therapists (physiotherapists) and athletic trainers (biokineticists) will prescribe and monitor virtual therapy delivered in the comfort of the patient’s home, which can be used either live or asynchronously.
The alliance between Genie Health’s platform within the new Discovery Health App will optimize patient recovery and satisfaction through the use of the patient’s camera on a user’s mobile device, combined with AI-driven computer vision technology and real body markers to track reps, speed, anatomic metrics, range of motion and mistake detection. Genie Health’s platform also enables health professionals to measure their patient’s progress throughout their MSK protocol and keeps them connected with patients remotely, while doing the rehab exercises
According to Genie Health patient surveys, patients recovered 60 percent faster, their pain was reduced by 50 percent, and they reported a 90 percent increase in satisfaction with their traditional PT program*.
This is Genie Health’s first partnership to provide an MSK solution funded by a health insurer and a signal of their immense focus on value-based care for patients with a medical aid plan.
“We are incredibly proud to be bringing our virtual and hybrid MSK solution to South Africa,” says Reuben Gobezie, MD, CEO and CO-Founder of Genie Health. “With no virtual MSK platforms currently operating in the country, it is exciting to break new ground and see a hybrid MSK model blossom there. Having a partner like Discovery Health leading our charge is a great alignment of strategy and vision between our companies.”
“This has been quite a journey. I have been working our new team and Discovery’s team for nearly two years to make this partnership a reality. It has been rewarding for me to see again how providing quality care at affordable prices is put at the forefront of our partnerships,” says Ben Galin, VP of Strategy for Genie Health.
ABOUT DISCOVERY HEALTH
Discovery Health is South Africa’s largest medical scheme administrator and managed care provider, managing over 59% of the total membership of South African open (commercial) medical schemes. They provide administrative and managed care services to over 3.3 million beneficiaries. Officially announced today, the program is available on Discovery Health’s App from January 2024.
“Evidence shows that only 50% of patients adhere fully to their home recovery exercise program, and that ongoing daily support to comply with a rehabilitation program and prescribed exercises, significantly improves recovery,” says Dr Ryan Noach, CEO of Discovery Health. “We are very excited to bring advanced rehabilitation technology from Genie Health to South Africa.”
Genie Health South Africa was established in 2023 to support this endeavor. Deon Bührs, Genie Health South Africa, Division President, leads the organization with Stella Yardley, Head of Clinical, Physiotherapist; and Bertie Herbst, Quality Director, Bioklineticist, and current President of the Biokinetics Association of South Africa.
“We are incredibly proud to be bringing our virtual and hybrid Musculo Skeletal rehabilitation solution to South Africa”, says Deon Bührs Managing Director of Genie Health South Africa. “As the very first monitored virtual Musculo-skeletal platform in the country, we are excited by the opportunities to improve care and rehabilitation outcomes for these health professionals and their patients. We are excited to be partnering with Discovery Health to lead innovative improvements in care representing a great alignment of strategy and vision between our companies.”
ABOUT DEON BUHRS
Deon Bührs is a physiotherapist who has spent more than two decades practicing in the public and private sector, in South Africa (SA) and the UK, and has also served as President of the SA Society of Physiotherapy. He has a passion for healthcare technology, and the role it plays in improving quality and accessibility of services.
ABOUT GENIE HEALTH, U.S.
Genie Health is an innovative digital health platform providing turnkey solutions for virtual musculoskeletal (MSK) care and patient engagement using AI-based computer vision technology. Genie has extensive experience delivering remote patient monitoring through orthopedic provider practices. Purpose-built by providers for providers, the Genie platform fully integrates with provider EMRS and workflows. Physical therapists and athletic trainers have been able to efficiently deploy the digital platform, driving compliance rates approaching 75%.
Genie’s product line of digital MSK solutions includes; PT Genie for physical therapy, Sports Genie for remote monitoring, functional movement screenings and athletic injury prevention, and WoRx Genie for occupational health risk management.
For more information about Genie Health, contact kelly@genie.health. Read more about Genie Health South Africa.
*As presented at both the American Physical Therapy Association and American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons annual meetings in 2023.
