Digital self-management platform for MSK conditions scaled to 20 million people

getUBetter is an evidence based, digital self-management support platform for all common musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and women’s pelvic health. It helps integrated care systems to provide digital-self-management support across their whole care pathway. With the support of the Health Innovation Network since 2013, from early-stage development advice to deployment and scale support, getUBetter is now available across 17 integrated care systems (ICSs) to a total eligible population of over 20 million people. 

Dr Carey McClellan Founder/CEO of getUBetter

The challenge

Common MSK conditions such as back pain have a massive impact on patients, the NHS, the workplace and the economy.

• 20 – 30% of population will visit a GP every year for an MSK complaint.
• MSK injuries and conditions account for 18-30% of all GP appointments.
• A growing number of people on waiting lists remain unsupported .
• The NHS spends £5 billion treating these conditions every year – 20% of this is overtreatment.
• MSK complaints account for half of all days off work and cost the economy £7 billion every year.

There is an absolute need to provide digital solutions to enable MSK support and safety netting, increase capacity, reduce costs, enable MSK support whilst waiting and promote self-management. As most MSK problems can be managed without specialist treatment, NICE, the NHS, and the Department of Health all recommend self-management support.

Digital health technology such as getUBetter can help to deliver a better service, by providing instant and constant access to a local care pathway, connecting people to support services available to them in their local environment.

Our support

Health Innovation West of England first started working with Dr Carey McClellan, the CEO of getUBetter, back in 2013, initially with advice around intellectual property. Dr McClellan then took part in their bootcamp for early-stage health entrepreneurs in 2015, ahead of him launching the platform the following year. Health Innovation West of England has continued to support getUBetter from development through to deployment and scale, connecting them to relevant organisations and helping with funding bids. 

An example of how a local innovation can be spread to other regions through the Health Innovation Networks, Health Innovation Network South London has also supported the platform with evaluation and deployment across London. getUBetter has also benefitted from a number of programmes supported by the Network, including DigitalHealth.London and has been supported to secure funding from SBRI Healthcare. 

Patient impact

getUBetter is now available across 38% of the country, covering an eligible population of 20+ million people, including 80% of London.

• 79,000 patients have been supported by getUBetter to date.
• 86% of patients would recommend to others.
• 100% of patients feel the app helps recovery.

Economic impact

Independent economic evaluation has demonstrated a potential cost saving of up to £1.96 million per year per integrated care system for use of getUBetter with back pain alone.

getUBetter has been demonstrated to offer a 4:1 return on investment for providers – for every £1 spent, getUBetter saves £4.20 (NHS MSK Digital Playbook case study).

In the last three years, getUBetter has grown from supporting two ICSs to 17 and has seen a five-fold increase in the size of its team.

In 2019, getUBetter successfully secured £99,420 of SBRI Healthcare funding through phase one of its Musculoskeletal Disorders competition, and a further £860,897 in phase two.

The company has enhanced the scope of their offering, further personalising their MSK digital self-management support for users, as well as developing new core package: digital self-management support for women’s pelvic health.

Clinical impact

getUBetter has been recommended by NICE as one of the five digital health technologies to be used by the NHS to help manage non-specific low back pain in people 16 years and over. Read more here.

Evaluations have also demonstrated:

• 20% fewer physiotherapy referrals
• 13% fewer MSK GP appointments
• 50% fewer MSK prescriptions
• 66% less Urgent Care attendance
• Supports behaviour change (Berry et al. 2020, 2022)
• 50% of patients on a physio waiting list no longer needed an appointment (Somerset evaluation 2022)
• 40% fewer physio appointments
• Patients develop better understanding of their conditions and recovery journey (HIN report, 2021)