Wearable technology has come a long way frombasic pedometers to count steps. It now encompasses such devices asFitbits or even apps on the smartphone you carry in your pocket.The technology is expanding to prosthetics and rehabilitativedevices like the “SmartGlove,” which is used patients who have musculoskeletal injuries or are recovering froma stroke. Now, virtual reality technology (VR) may provide someimprovements in treating workplace injuries.

In a new partnership to test digital tools in the treatment ofacute orthopedic injuries, the Travelers Companies, Inc., announcedon March 6 that it's collaborating with Cedars-Sinai, SamsungElectronics America, Bayer and appliedVR. According to theannouncement, the partnership will explore the effectiveness of adigital pain-reduction kit that uses therapeutic VR and wearabletechnology as a “non-pharmacological supplement to managing painassociated with acute orthopedic injuries of the lower back andextremities.”

The clinical research project, to be conducted by Cedars-Sinai'sCenter for Outcomes Research and Education and Department ofOrthopaedic Surgery, will take 16 months and include between 90 and140 participants, ages 18 to 65. The partners believe that theresearch will help medical and workers' comp professionalsunderstand how leveraging state-of-the-art technology will improveoutcomes for injured workers.

“Workplace injuries that lead to chronic pain can cause ongoingissues, as an injured employee may mask pain with opioids or otherdrugs,” said Dr. Melissa Burke, National Pharmacy Director atTravelers in a statement. “Identifying new, non-pharmacologicalternatives for pain management can help an injured employee avoidchronic pain, lower the chances that they will develop a dangerousopioid addiction and reduce medical costs. We are grateful for thispartnership and look forward to seeing the results that Dr. BrennanSpiegel and the Cedars-Sinai team uncover using the latesttechnology from appliedVR, Bayer and Samsung.”

Related: 5 reasons to consider an injury-prevention andtreatment program

Technology potential

“The opioid crisis doesn't just cost money, it also costslives,” Dr. Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research atCedars-Sinai said in a statement. “We need to find ways to stem thetide without relying entirely on medicines. Health technology, likevirtual reality, has tremendous potential to improve outcomes whilesaving costs, which is why we're so excited about thiscollaboration among academia and industry.”

As explained in the announcement, the digital pain-reduction kitto be used in the trial consists of:

• A Samsung Gear VR, powered by Oculus, headset;
• Samsung GearFit2 wearable;
• Therapeutic pain management content, powered by biosensorsprovided by appliedVR; and
• An Aleve Direct Therapy TENS (transcutaneous electrical nervestimulation) Device for those with lower back pain from sore andaching muscles due to strain from exercise and normal household andwork activities, provided by Bayer.

The kit provides data by measuring day-to-day functional status,work productivity and the use of pain medication ofparticipants.

“Recent research we've led with appliedVR and Cedars-Sinai havedemonstrated that virtual reality reduces pain in hospitalizedpatients and provides a non-pharmacologic alternative to opiates,”explained Dr. David Rhew, Chief Medical Officer and Head of HealthCare and Fitness for Samsung Electronics America in a statement.“This project is exciting and groundbreaking in that it will be thefirst to evaluate the economic benefits of virtual reality in thesetting of workers compensation.”

Related: Keeping aging workers safe on thejob