NHS Lothian has become one of the first health board in Scotland to trial a new physio clinic app to unlock faster, personalised treatment for patients.
The new platform – called Flok Health – provides same-day access to automated, responsive video appointments with an AI physiotherapist via a smartphone app.
Flok is the first platform of its kind to have been approved by the Care Quality Commission as a registered healthcare provider, creating a brand new treatment pathway for physiotherapy patients.
Alison MacDonald, Executive Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, said: “Technological developments such as Flok have the potential to substantially improve the care and journey for some people with back pain by complimenting the range of healthcare services available.
“We’re looking forward to continuing working with Flok to further understand and explore the potential for how we could integrate such technology with our current therapy provision.”
As part of a series of three-month pilot studies between May and December 2023, over 1000 NHS staff who were suffering from back pain self-referred to Flok’s AI physiotherapy clinic to receive treatment.
An initial video assessment was held with each of the staff members from NHS Lothian, NHS Borders, Cambridge University Hospitals, and Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and an AI physiotherapist to evaluate their symptoms and ensure Flok could safely provide the right treatment for their condition.
Once approved for treatment, patients had a weekly AI video appointment with their digital physio, which could be accessed at a time that suited them from the comfort of their own home.
During these appointments, the AI physiotherapist was able to prescribe exercises and pain management techniques, monitor each patient’s symptoms, and adjust their treatment in real-time.
The majority of patients were initially prescribed six treatment appointments with Flok’s AI physio. After these weekly appointments had been completed, patients were given unlimited access to personalised sessions for several months, during which they could focus on preventative care and reducing the risk of recurrent issues, in line with their needs.
Nearly all (97%) of the patients who self-referred to Flok within Lothian received an automated triage outcome. More than nine out of 10 (92%) were immediately approved for AI physio and given access to an appointment that same day. A handful (5%) were automatically referred to another NHS service, including NHS 111 or their GP).
The remaining three per cent of patients were given an additional assessment via telehealth appointment with a member of Flok’s clinical team. All but one of these individuals were then cleared to receive treatment with the AI physio, with the remaining patient successfully referred to an alternative service for urgent care.
In the latest service evaluation, all of the patients who took part in the survey said their experience with Flok had been at least equivalent to seeing a human physiotherapist, with nearly six in 10 (57%) of patients saying they thought the AI physio experience was better than the traditional alternative.
The digital service was also effective, with more than four in five participants (86%) reporting that their symptoms had improved during treatment with the Flok platform.
Finn Stevenson, Co-Founder and CEO at Flok Health, said: “Around 11 million people suffer from back pain in the UK and 20% of us will visit our GP with a musculoskeletal problem each year. But it’s getting harder and harder for patients to access the physiotherapy they need.
“Creating faster, more convenient access to physiotherapy services is vital to tackling this crisis. Harnessing new technologies, like AI, can help us unlock individualised treatment for thousands of patients, while reducing pressure on NHS services and freeing up capacity for treating those in need of in-person care.
“We’re proud to be leading the charge on this at Flok. It has been incredible to see the positive impact that AI physiotherapy can have throughout our initial trials with NHS Lothian, NHS Borders, Cambridge University Hospitals and Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We’re excited to be working closely with the NHS to develop this new technology and create a new care model for on-demand personalised treatment at population scale.”
For more information on FLOK check Flok Health
