The road to recovery for stroke victims or patients who have suffered some other sort of brain injury can be long and arduous. Therapy requires repetition and practice to help patients learn again how to speak or perform other cognitive functions. And it would seem logical that the more practice a patient gets, the better the outcomes. If treatment is limited to clinical settings, however, patients may go for significant stretches between sessions.
Constant Therapy is a company that has developed an extensive system of exercises that can be performed at home using a tablet. The system records the patient’s performance, and creates a customized treatment program. The results are made available to therapists and physicians to track performance, and makes it easier to coordinate treatment among multiple clinicians. According to a company press release, the system yields clear benefits. They analyzed more than 20 million therapy sessions with stroke victims using their system, and found that at-home therapy results in greater improvement. Patients who completed 100 exercises showed a 15% improvement in language accuracy and cognitive skills; those completing 500 or more exercises showed a 40% improvement. Furthermore, they found that stroke survivors who used the in-home exercises received five times more therapy than those limited to in-clinic treatments.
As mobile health continues to expand and improve, patients will be able to get more effective diagnosis and treatment right in their own homes. This can help save costs and improve outcomes, not to mention improve the quality of life for these patients and their families.
