Virtual physical therapy (PT) might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s the value proposition powering Fogarty’s company in residence (CIR), Immergo Labs, as it seeks to ease the PT journey for patients and providers alike.
Immergo Labs’ platform offers a hybrid model that begins with hands-on sessions in the clinic, supplemented by remote care. As the patients improve, the proportion of remote sessions gradually increases. This is expected to lead to continued gains for patients who, without the motivation of in-person visits, might abandon their exercise protocol. It should also help stabilize therapists’ revenue by reducing the incidence of no-shows.
“The VR system makes the whole experience much more actionable because the therapist can take patients through their exercises to correct their form as needed and then monitor their progress,” explained co-founder and CEO Michael Powell. “The next time they meet, the provider can access the tracking data in the dashboard, which provides accountability.”
From a CAP to a CIR
Immergo Labs initially joined Fogarty as part of its company accelerator program (CAP), which is designed for medtech companies seeking guidance for a specific challenge they’re trying to solve.
During Immergo’s CAP stint, the Fogarty team helped them overcome hurdles related to applying for a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant, which they have since received. “The Fogarty team guided us through countless challenges, always helping us adjust and navigate,“ said Powell. “When we joined the CAP program, we didn’t even know what questions to ask, and they would help warn us of potholes before we hit them.”
The grant is allowing Immergo to move to the user testing and alpha phase, and Powell looks forward to tapping Fogarty’s expertise in a wide variety of areas, from reimbursement to an optimal rollout plan that will help them reach customers and investors alike. While the company has a cohort of advisors with expertise specific to its technology and business, the Fogarty team covers all the rest of the bases.
“Working with the Fogarty team means we have advisors in every imaginable discipline to address our needs over the next year or two,” he said. In addition, Powell appreciates the insights and camaraderie they are gaining from fellow CIRs. “For us, it was an obvious choice to continue on at the organization.”
Launching the Prototype
Currently, Immergo is planning the platform’s alpha phase, where they will bring on three to five physical therapists, with one or two patients each, to evaluate how well the platform meets their needs. The initial focus will be on concierge and cash-based physical therapy since these smaller clinics have more latitude to decide which technology to use.
During this process, Immergo will collect and iterate on providers’ feedback, while also gathering testimonials they can share with potential investors.
After that, the next phase will entail working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as part of its efforts to increase accessibility to care by improving their telehealth offerings. Already, Immergo has conducted a workshop with the Houston VA, which will run a usability test with patients later this year.
Next, Immergo hopes to roll the platform out to the entire Houston VA and subsequently, additional VA clinics. Of course, given the budget cuts the VA is currently facing, these plans could change, but Powell is relying on his Fogarty mentors. “Andrew and Marga have such a positive perspective and encouraging words related to planning for the unknown, with backup strategies in place,” he said.
Positive Feedback Inspires Optimism
Powell feels confident about the platform’s potential, in large part due to the excellent feedback they received at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Section Meeting, the largest physical therapy conference in the country.
The functioning prototype they displayed this year, their third time at the meeting, was a considerable upgrade from their first visit when they were still students at UC Santa Cruz. “Back then, we walked around wearing Immergo T-shirts and carrying a big cardboard sign with our QR code, asking people to take our survey to be entered into a raffle for a VR headset, Powell recalled. “It was very effective and helped us engage with many PTs to better understand their needs before we started prototyping.”
This most recent visit was particularly successful, with abundant interest from therapists eager to join the waitlist. “They see the huge potential in the ability to track all these metrics for range of motion, strength and balance, which will help them quantify progress and see where patients need to modify their exercises,” said Powell. “They were really excited.”