The Virtual Physiotherapist

Studies indicate that better outcomes are achieved with more frequent and higher intensity physiotherapy. We are co-creating with patients and clinicians a device to support a patient undertake physical therapy in the form of repetitive task training at home.

The device can be used standalone or supervised remotely by a clinician. When used in remote mode by clinician, it provides an effective way of managing patients in the community with a decision support dashboard for the clinician. The device has a camera to track limb and joint, assess quality of motion comparing to a reference and calculates a score. Based on the assessment a recommender can adapt the exercise or suggest a new exercise.

Motivation to continue physical therapy at home alone is often a barrier for many patients. We address the issue of motivation with personalised feedback and elements of interactive and augmented reality tailored to individual patient. Thus, device enables more frequent ‘AI-assisted’ physical therapy, tailored to the individual, thereby improving outcomes and quality of life.

Another important feature of the device is the detection of compensatory movement when, for example, during repetitive training, a patient might compensate when fatigued by involving trunk and shoulder motion to complete the movement, impeding the recovery of function.

Further development work aims at improving usability and detecting compensation without the use of wearables. Following on, a study will be conducted to evaluate the clinical relevance and acceptability of the device in the context of the NHS.

Contact: Dorothy Monekosso

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