About the MediLudus
The project focuses on three important characteristics that affect the lives of people suffering from age-related problems:
- Physical Fitness: One of the most common problems for older people is the loss of independence in living due to reduced mobility and general physical fitness. In most cases, the presence of a trained physiotherapist is required to improve the patient’s condition, in collaboration with the treating physician, or a support person who can support the patient in his daily activities on a permanent or temporary basis.
- Intellectual ability: beyond the reduction of cognitive abilities in an elderly, a number of medical conditions can also reduce the extent of a patient’s skills. Here, too, the help of a therapist is often required to help the patient develop new skills or regain what he or she has lost, while specialized help is also required for the cognitive and memory component.
- Social activity: the above problems often have as a side effect and the isolation of the patient, contributing to the lack of motivation for social interaction and the feeling of inactivity. The change in the life habits of the person, but also in his abilities, need the help of a specialized psychologist who will design an intervention scheme for each specific patient, according to his background and characteristics, and a therapist who will support him in his socialization.
The MediLudus project proposes the development of an integrated home medical monitoring system and the provision of incentives and suggestions for improving living conditions for the elderly living alone or without ongoing monitoring and support. This system has two poles: one is related to a local system of decisions and motivation of the patient by providing intangible rewards for individual or repetitive actions that improve his life and encourage compliance with medical instructions, while the second pole with the use of sensors in the home and on the patient (wearable sensors) which constantly provide information about its activities and clinical picture, but also about the conditions prevailing in the home (temperature, air quality, lighting). This system collects data, generates suggestions for improving the quality of life at home, informs the treating physician and the patient’s relatives if any of the medical measurements correspond to any of the risk models selected by the doctor for the patient. specific patient, while at the same time applying individualized mechanisms and gamification rewards, in order to motivate the patient to implement his suggestions, but also to follow the exercise and social activity program that may have been prescribed by the treating physicians. Based on the sensors at home and on the patient, various medical problems or accidents can be covered, such as falls or an unplanned departure from home (which can lead to an accident or endanger the lives of certain patients), while the living conditions that may be related to the system proposals are improved by simple movements (eg opening a window for air supply or temperature change) or the use of simple technological tools (eg calling a relative to enhance the patient’s social interaction). Gaming includes activities related to exercise, social contact, cognitive training or learning games, and the observance of safety rules and good conditions in the home.
Mediludus incorporates:
- A decision system that enables the treating physician to design an individualized follow-up plan for the user.
- Home medical information monitoring and communication system with doctor and relatives, whenever the system deems it necessary.
- Providing personalized advice and incentives / rewards for adhering to what the doctor has prescribed.
- Personalized interaction with physical, mental, and social activities to enhance the patient’s respective skills.
- Gaming system that enhances the social activity of the user and increase the sense of satisfaction when using the application.