“80% of rehabilitation techniques can be done at home, in a controlled manner, thanks to new technologies”, said the manager of Marketing and Business Development for e-Health at Telefónica, David Labajo, as part of the 4th edition of the National Congress in Accessibility Technologies held in Toledo on the 17th and 18th of October.
“It’s not a technological problem, the main challenge is to convince users that using the technology will not adversely affect their healthcare,” explained Labajo.
Digital Rehabilitation: a challenge for e-health
“Digital rehabilitation gives us better control over what patients do and is very effective in certain areas of neuropsychology”, said Rocío Sánchez, a neuropsychologist at the Guttmann Institute. She also noted that with regard to ICTs it is the acceptance on the part of patients and families that is fundamental.
Claude Marcel, head of Business Development at VideoCare, said: “The aging population means that an increasing number of people are in need of remote care and digital rehabilitation. It is an area of great potential for specialized companies”.
He went on to note the importance of cloud technologies in digital rehabilitation as they offer advanced services at lower costs (one example is videoconferences with healthcare professionals).
Emilio Ibarra, the General Director of Ami2, explained that the problem isn’t the technology but giving it real importance in telemedicine applications. “We are working with large companies to seek solutions that can improve the quality of life of people undergoing rehabilitation, because not everything is useful,” he said.
The Encounter between ICTs and Patients with Degenerative Diseases
At the round table “Degenerative Diseases and Technology”, coordinated by a professor from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Miguel Ángel Valero, it was concluded that accessibility technologies can improve the lives of people suffering from degenerative diseases.
In this regard, the director of the Neuroped Center for Pediatric Neurodevelopment, Lucía Zamárraga, said that technology can be a path to independence and autonomy. She also noted that, apart from new technologies, it is important to adapt those that exist to the specific characteristics of each disease.
Laura Carrasco, Director of the Madrid Parkinson’s Association admitted: “Surprising as it might seem, with elderly people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, new technologies work very well”.
Public investment
One of the problems debated at the round table was the market for these technologies, which requires universal design.
On this point, Yod Samuel Martín, a researcher at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, said that it is necessary to generate public investment to balance the market.
Source: El Economista
