IoT solution supports patients’ walking technique

Many syndromes require customized treatment. This is achieved faster due to the emergence of eHealth devices. The ability to view real-time data from a patient ensures that the process can be tailored to the patient. Using data analytics, the physician can view the medical developments for each patient and give personal advice. Wouter van Solinge, eHealth & Big Data Ambassador at UMC Utrecht, emphasizes this in a news article from the UMC Utrecht: “With data analytics we can further personalize healthcare so that we can take better care of our patients. That is the power of data.” Evalan has developed an IoT solution that measures the pressure of the foot when a patient is walking. This provides important insights for patients with Parkinson’s or diabetes or patients who have had a stroke. A personal therapy process can be set up based on the insights.

Measuring the gait cycle
Patients with Parkinson’s and diabetes often develop a foot problem, such as nerve damage or balance problems. Just like patients who have had a stroke, they often receive physiotherapy aimed at the obstruction. An important part of the treatment is practicing to properly unwind the foot.

Stride consists of a sensor that measures pressure of the foot and a wearable that collects and transmits the data. The sensor is placed as a sole in the shoe and indicates how the patient places and unwinds his or her foot. These measurements are sent to an app that shows the gait cycle of the foot and other parameters. A practitioner can monitor this remotely and see through the continuous measurements how the patient is developing and what the exercise intensity is.  

In addition to the foot pressure and the unwinding pattern, the foot pressure sensor also displays the Center of Pressure (CoP), the step duration, step frequency and other related parameters. In this way, the therapist can provide just the right support that suits the patient and thereby accelerate recovery and slow disease progression.

Personalizing care
The sole can easily be worn in any shoe. This gives the therapist more insight into home rehabilitation. It allows the patient to do the exercises from home with the supervision of a therapist. For many patients this offers great convenience; the trip to the hospital is often a whole undertaking. This not only increases compliance, but also lays the foundation for personalized training and rehabilitation programs. The therapist can accurately monitor how each patient is developing and can therefore provide personal advice. This ensures that the patient becomes confident of his or her own abilities.

Improve quality of life
The purpose of Stride is to accelerate recovery and slow disease progression with the help of personal footprint measurements. Instead of reasoning from the general experiences, specific attention is now being paid to the development of one patient. To motivate patients to start or keep moving Stride makes use of gamification. For example, patients can earn a badge when the daily step goal is achieved. With Stride, Evalan wants to improve the quality of life by creating more confidence and participation and less fatigue.

Multiple application options
Stride offers support for various situations, such as rehabilitation after strokes, muscle diseases and diabetes. Stride also helps orthopedic shoemakers to develop customized shoes. Application in a clinical trial is also conceivable, whereby the system is used to collect data on the effectiveness on the intervention or treatment to be investigated.

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