Digitalization in therapy professions: Progress against the shortage of skilled workers?

There is a shortage of skilled workers – also in the therapy sector. People who need physiotherapy, ergotherapy or speech therapy due to a disability, illness or injury often have to wait a long time for entry into a program. Progress in digitalization offers new opportunities for those affected and can relieve the burden on therapists.

Waiting a long time for entry into therapy can be torture for many people. But how can more capacity be created for patients when fewer and fewer people are completing therapeutic training courses? Digitalization could provide the answer. While therapists are and will remain irreplaceable as human contacts, there are also many tasks in their field of work that do not necessarily have to be performed by humans.

For example, Düsseldorf-based CUREosity GmbH is developing the CUREO virtual reality therapy system, which guides users through various physiotherapy processes largely on their own.

"We are, of course, aware of the value of therapists. But if you look at the current shortage of therapists, we try to set up our system in such a way that it ideally meets the needs of the patients," says Ulrich Boden, quality manager at CUREosity, at REHACARE 2023, adding that the challenges are as individual as the patients. 

"With all our therapies, we try to restore the ability to cope with everyday life and improve the quality of life," says Boden. While patients can perform exercises independently with the help of a VR system and directly receive feedback, therapists are relieved and can use the time to document or plan the further course of therapy.

CUREosity first introduced the new feature at REHACARE 2022 last year. "I believe that the future of rehabilitation will change. We have new technologies of communication and motivation. This should also benefit the patients" CEO Thomas Saur forcasted at that time.

Ideally, an expert examiner usually looks at the gait of patients in person. The aim of such a gait analysis is to identify conspicuous changes in the movement process that require therapy and to monitor progress in treatment.  However, due to the lack of qualified personnel, patients must wait too long for an appointment. Promoting an independence therapy processes is the goal of stappone. The medical technology company from Austria has developed an insole that independently performs gait analyses.

Thanks to this insole by stappone, data is now collected automatically and presented to users via an app on their smartphone. "The sole can also be applied for live bio-feedback training. So that the patient can see directly what he or she can do better," said Peter Krimmer, CEO of stappone. Although the monitoring of the therapy should continue to be carried out by trained persons – i.e. doctors or therapists – the long wait for an appointment for the analysis is eliminated, as is the often high cost of a gait analysis carried out by professionals.

Exhibitors agree on how important a trade fair like REHACARE is in the development of a new solution. Peter Krimmer says: "We had very interesting discussions, among others with hospital operators. That was very exciting". Ulrich Boden also draws a positive conclusion: "I personally have little contact with patients, I tend to sit in the office. Here at the trade fair, you can see what needs you actually have to satisfy and how people react to them. Feedback, Boden adds, is received throughout.

Matthias Groß
REHACARE.com