It looks like a game on PS4 or Xbox One, but in Dubai it is 'live' physiotherapy

It may look like a game on one of the more popular gaming consoles, but Dubai Health Authority (DHA) insists it is physiotherapy - and that too from the comfort of your living room. You’d be forgiven to think it’s fun to be injured.

A smart physiotherapy session is now possible, thanks to the recent launch of the Smart Therapist by DHA and Microsoft.

An animation of a person on the screen shows how the exercises are to be done, and the patient in front of the screen imitates the movements. When done wrong, the patient is notified and given the chance to do the exercise again.

“We have developed a program where you can get live, medically supervised physiotherapy. The patient can do the session from home, while we can monitor it, modify it and receive feedback from the patient,” said Mohammad Suwaini, Physiotherapy Consultant and Head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rashid Hospital.

“This is ideal for patients who are not stable enough, patients who require monitoring, or who are travelling,” he explained.

A WiFi connection and a receiver box are needed, which can be linked to a flat screen, laptop or even an iPad. As such, the system can be carried along and placed wherever convenient.

“We want to reduce the suffering of the patient, because he is already suffering enough from the injury. In this way, he does not have to travel to a medical clinic or hospital, stand in the queue, or wait for long periods,” said Samir Said, Regional Director of Health and Social Services at Microsoft.

Further, the program provides total privacy, as the patient is never really seen by the doctor monitoring the session. “What is translated back to us is not the actual image of the patient, but graphical data. We get the data in the form of a pie chart, or bar chart. So the patient can do the exercises wearing home clothes,” said Al Suwaini.

With the launch of the program, the number of patients that can be treated could jump from a current eight per day to 30-plus, noted the doctor.

The patient does not require supervision all the time, and the physiotherapist receive only the data of the patient, rather than observing the entire session, he explained.

Al Suwaini happened to be the first patient to test the program, as he suffered a dislocated shoulder when the pilot project was launched six months ago.

“I had had a fixation surgery, and we had to be very careful during the rehabilitation process. Being a doctor and patient at the same time, it was a very useful experience as it allowed us to develop the parameters needed for the program,” he said.

The system observes parameters such as range of motion, speed, compliance, frequency, and regularity. When a patient missed the session, both doctor and patient are notified. When progress is made, the program can be modified, and no hospital visits are required all the while.

“If there is an acute problem, the patient can always communicate with the physiotherapist, and he may be advised to come to the hospital. Usually the first contact is also in hospital, so the patient is familiar with the program and the movements,” explained Al Suwaini.

“It is a great motivation for patients, because the therapist is available,” added Said.

“In many countries in the world, long-term physiotherapy is a challenge, because the resources are simply not available for 3 or 4 years. Sessions in hospital last a couple of months, and then the patient resumes at home. Now the patient can continue for many years under supervision.”
 

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