ForaHealthyMe is a virtual care solutions provider based in Markham with a focus on musculoskeletal, neurological and cognitive health care. Its platform empowers health providers with a combination of patient/provider virtual care solutions, telehealth, health informatics data for decision making, disease management and computer vision technologies to assess human range of motion. In 2019, ForaHealthyMe Inc., the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), and the McMaster University Department of Kinesiology began a study to test, refine and evaluate an adaptive activity with range of motion model (AARoM) for the elderly, in order to develop new approaches to treat and support patients with chronic health issues such as musculoskeletal care, and in need of rehabilitation support.ForaHealthyMe Inc., the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), and the McMaster University Department of Kinesiology are pleased to announce the completion of a research project to test, refine and evaluate an adaptive activity with range of motion model (AARoM) for the elderly. Study participants ranged in age from 65 to 83 years old. The project included embedding and evaluating established clinical protocols into a computer system to develop new approaches to treat and support patients with chronic health issues such as musculoskeletal care, and in need of rehabilitation support. This was the second trial for the computer vision system. The first trial at the Neuromechanics Lab at York University validated the accuracy and reliability of the system. Participants not only interacted with the system by responding to the rehab protocols prescribed by researchers, but also provided feedback on a variety of elements. With comments like “exercise steps were clear and easy to follow,” “the program is logical and easy to follow,” and “I think it’d be very beneficial down the road for people looking to exercise from a distance,” the majority of participants responded favourably to the system. In addition, the majority of participants said they would use the system again and also recommend it. Other participants stated, “I am not certain that I would use a computer to assist me in my exercise routine.” Valuable suggestions were made on how to further improve the system. Suggestions included making the backgrounds simpler, modifying the user interface, and also making the text easier to read. The project supervised by Dr. Stuart Phillips, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health & the Director of the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE). Phillips said that “The system has some very impressive features and clearly it has all the right foundations to be a useful system for distance healthcare.” ForaHealthyMe CEO, Courtney Cole, expressed his thanks to NSERC, his team of engineers and to the team at PACE. “We had a wonderful collaboration with the research team at Hamilton Health Sciences and at PACE and are grateful for their support and guidance through the process.” He went on the state, “Now that we have completed the final phase of our evaluation, we can actively begin commercializing our technology with local and global partners.” PACE is a state-of-the-art, exercise research and training centre affiliated with the McMaster’s world-renowned Department of Kinesiology. PACE enables community access activity and rehabilitation programs to several groups including seniors undergoing rehabilitation for various procedures. The project was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). ventureLAB is proud to support ForaHealthyMe, one of its over 350+ health sector clients. Join the ventureLAB community to learn more about our thriving health tech ecosystem.
