Implementing physical telerehabilitation system for patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Physical rehabilitation was shown to positively affect clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Telemedicine approaches can potentially facilitate home-based rehabilitation however telerehabilitation in MS have not been widely implemented. We developed a Home Automated Telemanagement (HAT) system for the computer-guided management of patients with MS to monitor patient symptoms, educate patients on their disease, and to instruct and monitor an exercise regimen tailored to the patient's specific needs. The home unit runs on a netbook in the patient's home connected to a remote server via internet. The system questions the patient on their condition, gives detailed step by step exercise instructions, records their daily exercise log, and informs and quizzes the patient on their knowledge of multiple sclerosis. The exercise log is transmitted to the remote HAT server where it is analyzed using decision support algorithms to facilitate MS management. Patient exercise regimen is determined by their physical therapist and can be updated on-line, keeping a personalized approach to disease management while taking advantage of the convenience the technology supplies. This telemanagement system has been successfully designed and implemented to optimize the care of patients with multiple sclerosis.