Most digital health companies struggle to prove they work. Sword Health didn’t. In this conversation, Fernando Correia (CMO, Sword) explains what they did differently—and why it mattered.
This article is based on a live webinar between Fernando and Castor CEO Derk Arts. You can watch the full conversation on-demand here: Watch the webinar.
Start with the Problem, Not the Pitch
MSK conditions affect 1 in 2 Americans. Sword saw that early and focused on building programs for large, well-defined problems—not niche use cases. They didn’t start with technology. They started with what clinical guidelines already said worked: exercise, education, and behavior change. Then they asked: how can we digitize and scale this without losing impact?
Proof Beats Hype
Back in 2015, digital care wasn’t taken seriously. Sword ran their first RCTs on paper to prove they could match in-person PT. It took three years to publish those first results. They knew they had to show outcomes before anyone would pay attention.
As they scaled, Sword invested in real-world data collection. They worked with product teams to embed validated outcomes into the user flow. They collected baseline and follow-up data at scale. Today, they have datasets with over 200,000 patients—including the largest real-world sample of low back pain patients in digital care.
Not Just a Tech Stack
Sword didn’t just build an app. They built a care delivery model—with humans, hardware, and AI. Their product includes motion capture, a CBT module, and Phoenix, an AI assistant. Clinicians manage 600+ patients with tech that flags risks and adapts plans. The goal: quality care at scale.
RCTs + RWE = Reimbursement
Sword’s trials showed they could match or outperform in-person PT—even when time and intensity were equal. Their real-world evidence showed sustained outcomes and lower healthcare utilization. That data got them contracts with payers and employers. Today, over 13 million people in the U.S. have access to Sword through their benefits.
Why Castor?
When Sword outgrew paper and spreadsheets, they needed a system their clinical team could own. Castor’s EDC let them build and run trials without code. During the pandemic, they ran two U.S.-based RCTs on Castor. The platform helped them publish faster, work more independently, and meet quality standards without bloated CRO costs.
Takeaways for Digital Health Teams
- Start collecting structured outcomes from day one
- Use validated scales that fit inside the product experience
- Don’t overcomplicate—but don’t skip the hard parts either
- Align product, clinical, and commercial teams on what data actually matters
Sword didn’t just survive the hype cycle. They outlasted it. Evidence was the reason.
