When slow physical rehabilitation has a cost for both patients and clinics

A car accident. A stroke. A brain infection.

Multiple causes can damage the brain or nervous system.

When it happens, patients typically go through a gradual rehabilitation process.

In other words, clinics – such as USS Centro de Salud – and within them, physiotherapists, help people regain as much independence and function as possible and adapt to a “new normal.”

Walking with a cane, kicking a ball to improve coordination, and standing on one leg to mimic daily stability: those are some of the common exercises rehabilitation can include.

However, traditional physical therapy has its challenges:

• Manual exercises, such as lifting weights or stretching, require constant hands-on guidance from therapists.
• Physios can spend excessive time on one-on-one sessions (thus creating long waitlists for patients)
• Patient motivation can sometimes wear down if no immediate results, leading to inconsistent progress and high dropout rates.

The cost is twofold.

On the one hand, patients make slow progress or no progress, resulting in lifelong dependency. On the other hand, USS Centro de Salud is unable to care for more patients more effectively.

VR rehab rewrites how patients recover

Spain-based startup Eodyne developed the RGS Rehabilitation Ecosystem.

It’s a suite of virtual and augmented reality tools for neurorehabilitation that targets motor function, pain management, and balance. 6,000+ patients have already benefited from the suite.

Key components include:

• RGS-MIMS for integrated patient data management and remote monitoring,
• RGSclinic for personalised in-clinic upper-limb and full-body exercises.

Take a look:

By implementing Eodyne’s suite in its own therapy process, USS Centro de Salud can expect the following: 

1. Enhanced patient recovery: Centro de Salud USS patients with stroke or injury regain motor function faster through engaging VR exercises that boost neuroplasticity, reducing recovery time from months to weeks. 
2. Operational efficiency gains: Therapists supervise multiple patients simultaneously via remote monitoring, cutting one-on-one session time and shortening clinic waitlists while maintaining quality care.

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator support the partnership for proof-of-concept and investment readiness

• Service n°1: PoC Design & Prototyping

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator’s PoC service for USS and Eodyne unfolds in three phases:

– Phase 1: Gather clinical staff input to define functional requirements, usability expectations, and KPIs, in order to produce a validated evaluation plan.
– Phase 2: Deploy the RGS software at 3-4 sites, train staff, and implement a pilot with 20 neurological patients.
– Phase 3: Analyse data on feasibility, drop-outs, and workflow integration while assessing clinician and patient satisfaction against KPIs. 

Overall, the PoC service delivers evidence of operational readiness to support scaling and clinical studies.

• Service n°2: Investment readiness & Matchmaking

The EU-LAC Digital Accelerator’s Investment Readiness & Matchmaking service for USS and Eodyne spans three months:

– Month 1: Assess current materials, identify pitch improvements, and refine the deck with sessions on financials, market entry, storytelling, and European investor alignment.
– Month 2: Focus on pitch practice through two simulated sessions, honing Q&A responses on scaling and fund use for confident delivery.
– Month 3: Arrange two investor meetings with VCs and angel investors, provide strategic support, and follow up with due diligence materials and refinements based on feedback. 

A VR solution deployed at USS before large-scale deployment in South America