Patients who have sustained injuries from accidents or stroke often face a long and difficult recovery. They must endure frequent physical therapy sessions as they relearn to control their bodies’ movements. One problem with this is that the sessions are typically conducted in a clinical setting that has an array of sophisticated accessories available. Getting to and from these sessions can pose a problem, especially if the patient is unable to drive or use public transport.
The German company MindMaze has created a system suitable for home use: MindMotion GO. Using a standard computer and a motion sensor, the system uses games to guide the patient through exercises designed to address specific rehab goals. The fact that it uses games makes the repetitive motions of the exercises more palatable; patients are less likely to get bored when they are working to beat their own top score. The patient’s performance is recorded for each session, so that healthcare professionals can track their progress over time. It is also easy to calibrate to each patient’s range of motion for a given exercise. The MindMotion GO system has received CE approval and FDA clearance.
This product is one more example of how treatments are moving out of clinical settings and into the home, where it is more convenient for the patient. Remote monitoring and telehealth functions let healthcare professionals monitor and track more patients more efficiently, while eliminating much of the cost and time wasted on travel to a clinical setting. With a more convenient and patient-friendly treatment, adherence to treatment plans should be higher. Advances like these will help improve outcomes and lower costs.
