Researchers from CINTESIS/Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) are part of an innovative project that aims to create wearable sensors, incorporated into footwear, clothing, and other materials, which can meet the needs of athletes and people with certain diseases.
With the INNO4HEALTH project, which involves Alberto Freitas, Sérgio Sampaio, Cristina Santos, and Júlio Souza, CINTESIS/FMUP researchers working on the project, it will be possible to create a set of tools to measure the performance and physical condition of patients and athletes using artificial intelligence.
In Portugal, the work is focused on the area of vascular diseases, namely in the monitoring of recovery in cases of claudication, venous ulcers, and diabetic foot.
In addition to their ability to collect data, such tools will also make it possible to identify pain points in the lower limbs and advise patients on how to improve their condition and performance.
To achieve these results, according to the authors, the initiative had to face several challenges, namely the integration of “new technologies into clinical practice”, since the process requires “a sound knowledge of clinical scenarios”.
Another challenge is to “measure the efficacy and validate the product/solution being developed, in order to prove the clinical benefits and the improvement in care”, which involves patient recruitment.
However, the researchers consider that “the biggest challenge was to present a solution that was minimally invasive, easily adaptable to the treatment plan and routine of patients and health professionals, and that could be adopted on a large scale in the future”.
Thus, “it is expected that the technological product developed will allow health professionals to monitor their patients outside health centers and hospitals, following the evolution of the disease and adherence to treatment, in addition to providing data that may be useful for treatment decision”, also allowing patients to follow their progress.
“It is also expected that the technology will enable the patient to monitor their own health condition in real-time, in addition to motivating them to comply with the treatment prescribed by the doctor,” they add.
The researchers point out that “in the medium and long term, this initiative may result in a reduction of visits to health services and, consequently, in savings of resources, in addition to improvements in specific clinical indicators.
In Portugal, INNO4Health is focused on patients with vascular problems in the lower extremities, namely diabetic foot and intermittent claudication. These conditions result in loss of quality of life, due to pain, walking limitations, the need for constant monitoring in health services and, in some cases, hospitalizations.
The project is the result of a Portuguese consortium, formed by FMUP, WiseWare and ISEP. The initiative is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the scope of COMPETE 2020.
