Research Proposal: A Telehealth and Sensor-Based System for User-Centered Physical Therapy in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

This paper contains the research proposal of Samantha O'Sullivan that was presented at the MMSys 2022 doctoral symposium. The use of wearable sensors for the understanding and quantification of movement within research communities working on Parkinson's Disease (PD) has increased significantly in recent years with a motivation to objectively diagnose, assess and then understand the progression of the disease. Most studies taking this approach for PD have stated that there is a need for a long-term solution, due to varying symptoms at different stages of the disease. COVID-19 has brought further limitations in the delivery of clinical care, reducing time with therapists and doctors whilst increasing the preference for at-home care. The necessity for a system for patients with PD is extremely significant. There is no clinically available long-term assessment for tremors, which is an issue highlighted in the literature. By using wireless sensors to track tremor severity continuously, and telehealth to create communication between patient and clinician, this proposed system will allow for better targeted therapy, accurate statistics, and constant accessible data. In this context, this work will design, build, and evaluate a novel system that would allow for constant monitoring of a patient with tremors. By using wireless sensors and telehealth, it will provide more detailed data that may enable directed and informed physical therapy. It will also improve communication creating a data flow constantly between clinician and patient to improve person-centered feedback, and aid towards the diagnosis and assessment of disease progression. The incorporation of a mobile/cloud-based application to assist this is due to the current heightened preference for home-based healthcare, long-term evaluation of tremors and personalized physical therapy. The primary focus of the PhD will be on capturing tremor activity and progression through a telehealth-based system. This proposed system will obtain real-time readings of tremors using wireless sensors and an application that will communicate consistently with healthcare professionals. The aim will be to provide better home-based care, person-centered physical therapy and improve quality of life. © 2022 ACM.