Virtual Physical Therapy: Collaboration and Gamification
We shifted our focus from yoga training to physical therapy. Considering the current situation and after investigating the existing market, the lack of access to physical therapy may be a problem space that is more urgent but lacks attention.
There are overlaps between fitness training and training for recovery, however, there are several key points to emphasize. For example, the accuracy of movement is of great importance to avoid further injury. Rehabilitation, entails complex interactions between multiple persons (doctor, patient, caregiver), multiple settings (hospitals, clinics, the home), and varying stages of recovery. Usually, physical therapists will have in-clinic sessions to instruct and correct the patients’ postures. Regular check-ins and feedback are vital in the whole progress.
The explanatory video of Motion-IQ provides an example of virtual check-ins and feedback. Doctors receive and evaluate the progress of the recovery exercise of patients in real-time through the platform. The patients can share their training feelings such as levels of pain at any time.
Another difference between rehabilitation exercise and fitness exercise is that due to the limitation of exercise ability and types of exercise they can practice, patients usually lack the internal motivation of exercise. This is why “gamification” has raised as a buzzword for rehabilitation.
Games can excite us while focusing our attention, and force us to be more resilient in acquiring stronger and more effective skills. Games are more than just automatic collectors of vital signs and notifications. Gamification services attract people, keep them motivated, and help them move forward on the bumpy road of recovery. That is why we believe that Gamification solutions will be effective in recovery exercises.
Mio Therapy is testing their home version mobile app and sensors. Placing the sensors on a body area, they will provide a detailed assessment and report of the Range of Motion. The sensors can work as interactive media to conduct the gamified exercises on a mobile screen. When the patient gains enough point by keeping exercising, they can even redeem a physical reward such as a Starbuck gift card.
We’ve also looked into physical exercise-related products that cause huge market responses, such as Pokemon Go, which increases users’ active levels, and Ring Fit Adventure, which makes indoor fitness exciting and enjoyable.
Rehabilitation training is at a more delicate spa, which requires us to balance the medical need and the motivation of users.
“Rehabilitation is complex. It involves an ever-changing interaction of the rehabilitation patient with different clinical environments and healthcare providers. Gamification for rehabilitation goes beyond simply creating a “fun” and “exciting” application or environment in which to complete rehabilitation exercises and interventions… Pairing low-cost devices with customized games will allow for better “fit” with each patient, provide appropriate data to therapists and insurance companies, and eventually lead to effective games for rehabilitation.”
-Gamification in rehabilitation: Finding the “just-right-challenge”, Rachel Proffitt
