A Southern California medical center is helping patients benefit from physical therapy even when not in the direct company of their doctors, according to a published report.
The Reflexion Rehabilitation Measurement Tool was developed by the West Health Institute in San Diego as a method of helping patients enhance their performance of prescribed exercises, Gizmodo reports. The program uses a Windows 7 personal computer and a motion camera to aid patients with the regimen assigned by people who hold physical therapy jobs.
"The biggest problem with physical therapy is patients not doing enough of it or not doing it properly," co-inventor and lead developer Spencer Hutchins with the Reflexion Project told the news source. "We are building a tool to help physical therapists measure progress in a fun way that could potentially help patients heal faster."
The invention also might be able to help reduce expenses while leaving the high standard of services intact.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapists help patients enhance movement and reduce pain following injuries and surgical procedures.