Three ways digitisation and technology can transform rehabilitation and preventive medicine

Digital technologies have evolved at an increased speed the last few decades and do not showcase any sign of slowing down soon. After all, multiple industries and domains are being reshaped based on new concepts such as virtual reality, Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G.

The field of medicine, in particular rehabilitation and preventive medicine, is a good example where improvements go hand in hand with technological progress. Next to improving patient outcomes, processes need to be improved and need to become more efficient to lower the stress on our social security system. Therefore, it is interesting to assess how technology could be able to take away these pains in the future.

Below, you can find three ways digital technologies and technological advancements can keep budgets under control, improve the rehabilitation process or just prevent you from needing urgent care.

1. The role of gamification, digital experiences and data in motivation

Western medicine has made some huge leaps in the past few decades. However, it has yet to discover a cure for an essential key to successful rehabilitation: motivation.

Motivation is an important factor in the success of rehabilitation. People who are highly motivated are more likely to actively participate in their rehabilitation programmes, follow their treatment plans and make progress towards their goals. By contrast, people who are not motivated are less likely to participate in rehabilitation activities, which can hinder their progress and lead to frustration or setbacks.

Gamification can play an important role in rehabilitation, as it can help engage people in their treatment and encourage them to actively participate in their rehabilitation efforts. This strategy refers to the use of game-like elements (such as points, rewards and competition) in order to make non-game activities more engaging and fun. Combining gamification with digital experiences (such as interactive apps and the Metaverse) can motivate patients to complete rehabilitation tasks and activities. Behind the platform, healthy data analytics are a powerful tool to make activities more engaging and provide comprehensive feedback on one's rehabilitation progress. For example, a therapist can use a points system to reward someone for completing their physiotherapy exercises or reaching certain milestones in their recovery.

Gamification can also help to increase a sense of achievement and progress, which can be important to maintain motivation. By tracking an individual's progress and providing feedback on their performance, it can help individuals gain a sense of achievement and see the progress they are achieving, which can be a powerful motivator. Strong data algorithms can use the patient's perceived motivation and progress to suggest exercises or medication, taking personalised therapy to the next level.

Overall, gamification using digital experiences and data can help engage people in their treatment, increase their participation in rehabilitation activities and promote progress towards their goals. Combining gamification with strong data algorithms can take personalised therapy to the next level.

2. The Metaverse as a catalyst for increased engagement

The Metaverse is a virtual reality environment that can be accessed and interacted with via computers or other electronic devices. In the context of physical rehabilitation, the Metaverse can perform several functions, such as providing a platform for virtual rehabilitation exercises, facilitating telerehabilitation, increasing motivation and engagement, and providing a safe and controlled environment for practising new skills.

Via the Metaverse, individuals are provided with a platform for virtual rehabilitation exercises. These exercises can be tailored to a person's specific needs and goals and can be automatically adapted as the patient progresses in his/her rehabilitation programme. These platforms can be a huge catalyst in facilitating telerehabilitation by offering remote rehabilitation services, allowing people to receive treatment from a therapist or other healthcare provider remotely, through a virtual environment. This is especially useful for people living in remote areas or who find it difficult to travel to a rehabilitation centre. Moreover, these platforms enable people to practise new skills or movements in a safe and controlled environment.

Finally, the immersive nature of Metaverse promises to make rehabilitation activities more enjoyable and engaging, which can help improve motivation and adherence to treatment plans.

3. The role of AI and IoT in preventive medicine

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have the potential to play a significant role in the field of preventive medicine. Preventive medicine is a branch of healthcare that focuses on preventing the occurrence of diseases and injuries, rather than treating them after they have already developed. As Hippocrates put it: “The greatest medicine of all is to teach people how not to need it”.

One potential application of AI in preventive medicine is the use of machine learning algorithms to analyse large amounts of medical data and identify patterns that may indicate the likelihood of certain health problems. For example, AI algorithms could be used to analyse electronic health records, genetic data, or other sources of information to identify individuals who are at risk for certain conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. This information could then be used to target preventive interventions, such as lifestyle changes or early treatment, to those individuals who are most likely to benefit from it.

IoT can also be leveraged in preventive medicine by enabling continuous monitoring of the patients' vital signs and other health-related data. For example, wearable sensors or other IoT devices could potentially be set up to monitor individuals' activity levels, sleep patterns or other health indicators, allowing early detection of potential problems and timely intervention.

Overall, the use of AI and IoT in preventive medicine has the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare by enabling the early detection and prevention of health problems. By using these technologies to identify potential health risks and intervene before problems occur, it may be possible to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and improve the overall health of populations.

Do you have any questions about this article? Or would you like to have the opportunity to meet with one of our (data) experts to discuss digital change within your sector too? If so, feel free to contact us for a first introductory chat.