Mobile, Virtual Enhancements for Rehabilitation (MOVER)
Abstract
Home-based and outpatient rehabilitation interventions hold great potential to improve the rehabilitation of our Warfighters. The patient must practice therapeutic exercises regularly. The unfortunate reality of many home-based and outpatient therapies is that the patient does not regularly practice therapeutic exercises beyond visits with the therapist and, therefore, does not see significant improvement. Studies of home-based and outpatient rehabilitation interventions have identified a number of key correlates to lack of adherence: confusion about exercises; perceptions of lack of time to exercise; forgetting to exercise; perceptions of helplessness; and overall lack of motivation to exercise. Conversely, patients who have less confusion, make time to exercise, remember to exercise, perceive higher self-efficacy, and report motivation to exercise adhere more regularly to rehabilitation protocols. In addition to these areas of needed patient assistance, outpatient therapists must be enabled to perform their job functions of observing the patient and directing exercises. For these reasons, remote assistance to home-based and outpatient rehabilitation is needed to enhance the recovery of our injured Warfighters. To address these issues, we are developing mobile, virtual enhancements for rehabilitation (MOVER), a mobile, technology-enabled home-based rehabilitation intervention delivery system. MOVER features (1) a mobile application to provide education, information, and scheduling of therapeutic exercises; (2) virtual coaches to guide, mentor, and motivate patients; (3) COTS input devices and video games to increase patient motivation; and (4) a web-based therapist interface to accurately assess patient adherence and progress.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 28, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA595202
Entities
People
- James Niehaus