Augment Therapy Announces Pediatric Research Study with Premier Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, ALYN PARC, based in Israel
CLEVELAND, OH, September 26, 2023 – Digital health company, Augment Therapy®, is pleased to announce it has been chosen to be part of an on-going research study taking place at ALYN PARC – The Helmslecric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Research Center located in Israel. ALYN Hospital is acknowledged worldwide as a premier hospital specializing in pediatric rehabilitation. The research study focuses on a hybrid approach (in-person and remote) to pediatric rehabilitation looking beyond the COVID-19 crisis. The research study is being funded through the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research. Objectives of the study are to develop, implement and evaluate a hybrid outpatient rehabilitation program for children and adolescents.
The specific objectives of the research are to:
Identify facilitators and barriers to the adoption of a hybrid approach to pediatric rehabilitation
Develop a hybrid telerehabilitation program for youth that is at least equivalent (non- inferior) to conventional, in-person therapy.
Compare hybrid rehabilitation to in-person rehabilitation at two rehabilitation centers in Israel in terms of (1) adherence to therapy, (2) therapeutic alliance and (3) perceived quality of care (families and therapists), (4) functional effectiveness as measured by pre-post change in the PEDI, (5) cost-effectiveness of hybrid therapy (by comparing financial versus effectiveness outcomes) in the healthcare system (hospitals, health maintenance organizations), including training requirements, physical space requirements and cost.
Develop guiding principles for the implementation of a “best practices” hybrid approach to pediatric rehabilitation programs at a national level.
Dr. Naomi Gefen, Primary Investigator at ALYN PARC stated, “We’re excited to work with Augment Therapy and to have this program to use with our children in the hospital and via remote therapy. Augment has developed a program that is designed for kids and incorporates the specific goals that we are focused on. It is easy for both the therapist and child to use the software. And a remarkable added benefit is the software’s ability to have avatars speak in multiple languages to our patients. This makes the software truly versatile to our needs in every setting, with the wider population that we serve.”
The program will be offered to all children ages 3-21 years participating in outpatient rehabilitation during a 9-month recruitment period. In addition to outcomes gathered from individuals participating in the hybrid rehabilitation program, themes arising from a pre- and post-study focus groups will inform the development of “best practices” for hybrid pediatric rehabilitation programs in the future.
The intent of the study is to use multiple therapy technologies in a hybrid care model to deliver therapy to patients in an outpatient setting. The goal of telerehabilitation services is to improve patients’ access to care by receiving therapy beyond the physical walls of a traditional healthcare facility, thus expanding the continuity of care. The study will analyze adherence, perceived quality of care and cost effectiveness of a hybrid care model. Augment Therapy is one of several technologies that will be utilized in this study.
“Becoming a digitally enabled healthcare provider is imperative to engage today’s patients, family, and caregivers. This research is essential for demonstrating the power of adding digital touchpoints to an effective plan of care while improving the experience of care overall,” said Lindsay Watson, PT, MPT, CEO and Co-Founder of Augment Therapy.
About Augment Therapy
Augment Therapy is an award-winning digital health company that engages people of all ages and ability levels in immersive and accessible gamified exercise from hospital to home. Leveraging MOCAST®, the company’s proprietary technology, Augment Therapy offers a unique combination of full-body skeletal tracking and augmented reality-based interactive exercises accessible simply through a tablet or phone. While also improving the exercise experience, healthcare providers can better engage their patients and generate evidence-based gamified exercise programs while easily monitoring progress at any time. Valuable patient data and analytics are built into Augment Therapy’s HIPAA compliant and SOC 2® Type 1 approved software. The platform is designed for inpatient, outpatient, and at home use by healthcare caregivers, their patients, and for continued wellness opportunities.
Augment Therapy was co-founded by CEO, Lindsay Watson, a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience and CTO, Steve Blake, a 30-year medical and tech-education software expert. Incorporated in 2018, Augment Therapy is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2023, Augment Therapy was selected as a finalist for AWE’s Auggie Awards, the most recognized AR & VR industry awards and a quarterfinalist for the Digital Health Awards recognizing the achievements of innovative health tech companies improving healthcare. Augment Therapy was also the recipient of the prestigious Unity for Humanity award in 2022.
For more information about Augment Therapy, please visit www.augmenttherapy.com
Rebecca Turk
Augment Therapy
310.663.0595