A pilot research study into a potentially life-enhancing digital stroke rehabilitation tool launched this week.
Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) is being developed by The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust alongside software company, Citrus Suite.
The research is funded by the Stroke Association and MedCity and led by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
VERA allows mobile phones to access applications that support rehabilitation.
The digital tool provides treatment information, videos and images to guide personalised exercise, a daily schedule and support.
Dr Ganesh Bavikatte, Consultant and Clinical Lead in Rehabilitation Medicine at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Every patient who goes through the rehabilitation journey with The Walton Centre and our partners in the Cheshire and Merseyside Rehab Network, has a different experience.
“It is really personal to them. This digital tool will help us provide a bespoke process for each patient which will support our teams to provide the very best rehabilitation and therapy programme.”
It is hoped that VERA will help survivors adapt to life after stroke by improving their understanding of rehabilitation and increasing their motivation to engage.
By making rehabilitation more accessible, VERA also aims to help healthcare professionals use their time more effectively, saving the NHS money along the way.
Research lead Dr Kathryn Jarvis, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at UCLan, said:
“We have worked closely with stroke survivors and healthcare professionals to develop VERA and the supporting training materials. In the study, we will gauge how VERA could be used to increase activity and functional recovery in neurological rehabilitation.
“In addition, we will explore how VERA can be implemented in a complex neurological in-patient setting.”
Richard Francis, Head of Research at the Stroke Association, added:
“We know that stroke survivors are still not accessing all the rehabilitation they need, which has only been made worse by the pandemic.
“That’s why funding these new technologies could help improve and increase access to personalised rehabilitation.
“Stroke strikes every five minutes and it changes lives in an instant. There are now 1.3 million stroke survivors living in the UK and we believe that everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke.”
