LainaHealth’s AI-driven solution: Expanding physical therapy access and reducing costs

In an era where healthcare accessibility remains a persistent challenge, LainaHealth has emerged with a new care delivery model designed to tackle long-standing barriers in physical therapy. Formerly known as IncludeHealth, the company has rebranded to reflect its bold, data-backed approach to virtual PT, where advanced WebAI meets clinical expertise.

LainaHealth’s platform, which pairs licensed physical therapists with a proprietary WebAI assistant named Laina, seeks to deliver measurable outcomes at a fraction of the cost of traditional care. After more than a year of testing across multiple payer markets—including commercial insurers, employers, and government programs—the hybrid model is now positioned as a scalable solution to a growing public health concern.

Breaking barriers to physical therapy

Physical therapy (PT) is essential for managing musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, post-operative rehabilitation, injury prevention, and chronic pain management. Yet, a significant percentage of patients never start or complete their prescribed therapy.

According to data shared by LainaHealth, up to 65% of PT prescriptions go unfilled, primarily due to common obstacles such as wait times of 4–6 weeks to see a provider, high out-of-pocket costs and limited insurance coverage, transportation difficulties or mobility issues, and discomfort with clinical environments, particularly among older adults.

By providing initial evaluations from a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) within one week and offering follow-up sessions remotely, LainaHealth removes the friction that prevents many from receiving care. The company’s approach is a major step forward in promoting healthcare accessibility, especially for patients in underserved or rural areas.

Ryan Eder, founder and CEO of LainaHealth, emphasized that access to care should be the default, not a privilege. He stated that the company’s efforts go beyond a rebrand, focusing on using technology to support clinicians rather than replace them, ensuring that everyone can engage with effective care.

Hybrid model: Human expertise + WebAI

At the heart of the LainaHealth model is a synergy between human oversight and AI assistance. After a virtual evaluation by a licensed DPT, patients receive a personalized care plan tailored to their condition, goals, and comfort level. That plan is then delivered through Laina, the company’s FDA-registered, HIPAA-compliant WebAI assistant.

No extra hardware, no technical headaches: Unlike some digital health platforms that require wearables or specialized devices, LainaHealth’s system runs entirely on standard smartphones, tablets, or computers. This ease of access is particularly beneficial for seniors or people with limited digital literacy.

Thanos Papavasiliou, Head of Clinical Operations at LainaHealth, stated that patients do not need to be tech-savvy; if they can open a browser, they are capable of doing physical therapy.

Real-time motion guidance and feedback: Laina uses motion-tracking technology to guide patients through each exercise, providing corrections and encouragement in real time. While patients complete their routines at home, Laina collects objective movement data and updates the supervising DPT with engagement metrics, satisfaction scores, and progress indicators.

Clinicians remain actively involved, checking in via regular virtual visits and responding to secure messages. This continuous feedback loop enables personalized adjustments and ensures that care evolves as the patient does.

Validated results across age groups and conditions

Following a 15-month validation period, LainaHealth’s model has demonstrated substantial impact. Here are the key outcomes.

Cost reduction: Each episode of care costs an average of $300—up to 75% cheaper than in-person therapy, with more than 50% in direct savings per case.

Improved engagement: Patients averaged 20 sessions per episode over 9.2 weeks, doubling adherence rates compared to traditional PT.

High satisfaction: The platform scored an average satisfaction rating of 8.8 out of 10.

Effective Outcomes: Participants reported an average pain reduction of 65%, based on both subjective feedback and objective range-of-motion metrics.

Real stories behind the stats

One standout case is that of Nga Do, a 68-year-old patient who had suffered from chronic knee pain for years. Unable to afford regular PT and challenged by transportation issues, Nga enrolled in the LainaHealth program. Over 12 weeks and 52 sessions, she experienced a complete resolution of her knee pain and disability.

“I don’t even know how to turn on my TV,” she said. “But I easily did physical therapy with LainaHealth.” Her experience highlights how improved healthcare accessibility can transform lives, especially for older adults who often face the greatest care barriers.

LainaHealth vs. other digital MSK platforms

While digital MSK solutions are not new, LainaHealth’s strategy represents a clear departure from many first-generation platforms. Rather than focusing solely on cost avoidance or automating clinical functions, the company emphasizes a clinically integrated model with measurable outcomes and human interaction at its core.

Data-driven, outcome-focused: LainaHealth’s proprietary outcomes engine collects an average of 24 data points per patient, combining patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) with objective functional metrics. This high-resolution dataset allows for better tracking of clinical progress, transparent reporting for payers and provider networks, and more accurate, personalized treatment planning.

By sharing this data openly with stakeholders, LainaHealth promotes collaborative care decisions and builds trust across the healthcare continuum. More importantly, the insights gathered can be used to further improve healthcare accessibility by identifying gaps and optimizing care delivery.

Expanding partnerships and future growth: With a successful proof of concept behind it, LainaHealth is scaling up its reach. The company is actively forming partnerships with health plans, centers of excellence, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), and care navigation platforms. These alliances will help expand access to underserved populations, reduce health inequities, and contain costs systemwide.

In a healthcare environment increasingly focused on value-based care, models like LainaHealth’s are likely to draw continued interest. By lowering the cost of physical therapy without compromising on quality, the company is creating a template for other specialties that might benefit from a similar approach.

LainaHealth’s hybrid model presents a compelling case for how technology and human expertise can come together to improve physical therapy delivery. It offers a practical solution to longstanding issues of access, cost, and engagement—challenges that traditional healthcare has struggled to overcome.

By anchoring AI in clinical collaboration rather than automation, LainaHealth is not just keeping pace with digital health trends—it’s helping shape a future where healthcare accessibility, quality, and affordability go hand-in-hand.