As a Physical Therapist who has used the MedBridge Go App as well as other home exercise programs, a few priorities come to mind.
A GREAT Home Exercise Program must have:
- Clean Pictures/Images: Must be clear, professional, and easy to see
- Great Descriptions: Simple instructions and easy to modify
- Highly Shareable: It needs to be easy to print, email, or access through an access code.
- Quick to Design & Edit: I don’t want to take 10 minutes to create a custom HEP.
I’ve used other home exercise programs in the past, but the one that tops all of them is the MedBridge Go home exercise program app.
MedBridge Go App
The MedBridge GO home exercise program is accessible when you purchase the premium version of MedBridge. Basically, if you need CEUs and decide to pay for MedBridge Premium, you get access to MedBridge GO HEP. The premium version of MedBridge is $425 normally but it’s been discounted to $324 when you use the MedBridge Promo Code “PTProgress.”
MedBridge Go Access Code
When you create a HEP for someone, you generate a unique access code that gives the patient direct access to their exercises without the need to create an account or log into anything.
The MedBridge Go Access Code page is really simple – there’s only one box to enter the access code!
Once you’ve entered the access code, the exercises will appear on the page. I really like the clean layout with the videos embedded directly to the single page. The images and videos are clear, easy to see and have good instructions on how to perform each exercise.
You can also print out the program from this page. You do not have the ability to change the size of the printed images from the patient view, but you can change the layout from your therapist portal.
Patient Experience with App
I personally downloaded the patient app and plugged in an access code to see how it would appear to my patients. It’s really impressive! It not only tells you the expected time of the exercise program, it guides you through each exercise with a timer and video performance of each exercise on the screen.
Once you’re finished, your exercises are logged into an activity tab within your app and tracked so you and the therapist can see your progress.
Other Features of the MedBridge Go patient app:
- Ability to add additional access codes for multiple HEP
- Reminders and notifications for inactivity or motivation to continue streak
- Customization of the playing audio as well as time between sets
- Automatic or Manual log feature to track exercises performed
If you’re on the fence about MedBridge, the home exercise program is one of the added benefits that makes it even more worth it. Not only will you save time by creating and using exercise templates within the app, your patients will have improved compliance when they can track their exercises simply with the MedBridge Go App.
High-Quality Exercise Imagery
The images in MedBridge’s HEP Builder are clear, consistent, and easy to find. Once you’ve selected the right one, you simply drag and drop it into your HEP sidebar. When viewed through the MedBridge GO app, these images transform into videos with voice-over instructions and multiple camera angles. You can even flip the image to reflect a different side of the body!
Templates and Favorites
You don’t have to start from scratch–with MedBridge you can build off a template you used for the last patient and populate it with exercises you previously saved. For example, if you find you often begin your total knee patients with the same sequence of balance exercises, you can save that set of exercises as a template and simply drag and drop it into your HEP. Creating a template takes just a few minutes, but it can redeem that time with each subsequent patient, putting anywhere from 30–60 minutes back into your day!
Customizability
Besides taking shortcuts, sometimes you need to include in your HEP a unique exercise created just for your patient. With MedBridge’s HEP builder, you can upload a customized exercise or quickly edit a current one to reflect your patient’s specific needs. You can also customize how the HEP is delivered—email, text, or printed—and even specify a large-print font or Spanish translation.
Bonus—Companion App
One feature that really makes the MedBridge HEP Builder stand out is its companion app, MedBridge GO. In the app, your HEP exercises are presented through a follow-along, interactive video and displayed with a workout timer that reflects the parameters you set. The weekly calendar page will depict your patient’s workout schedule day by day, while the dashboard will show at a glance whether they’re on track. If push notifications are enabled, the patient will be reminded on a regular basis to adhere to your HEP and put in the work to see the results.
The app also gives you more oversight on your patient’s progress. The reporting tab displays the number of logins to the app for each patient, allowing you to discreetly monitor their adherence to your HEP.
Best Physical Therapy Home Exercise Program: Summary
Whether you’re looking to easily store favorite protocols, quickly search and edit exercises, or use consistently clear images, the MedBridge HEP Builder is the software for you. From helping you create an HEP to helping your patient adhere at home, the HEP builder and companion app from MedBridge can make physical therapy simpler, quicker, and more effective—for you and your patient!
