i2-CoRT

Comme l'a souligné le partenariat du projet, le secteur médical des traitements de réhabilitation est de plus en plus confronté aux défis d'une société vieillissante, de la rentabilité et des limites en termes de ressources humaines (médecins, thérapeutes). Face à ces évolutions, le projet vise la création d’un environnement propice à l’innovation (« axe eurégional de la connaissance pour les technologies de la réhabilitation, RT en anglais ») afin d’accélérer le développement et le lancement de produits RT novateurs, comme la robotique et les capteurs dans les soins de réhabilitation.

Challenges

Rehabilitation care is under great pressure because of aging of the population and the increase in illness-related healthcare costs. Solutions are sought through improvement of the (cost-)effectiveness of treatments. This can be achieved by e.g. the use of new technologies in rehabilitation treatment, like robotics, sensors, new materials and new production processes for tools & etc. Aims are : a) to increase therapy provision and to make therapy more attractive, b) to increase training time & intensity for patients, c) to increase the contact time between patient-practitioner, d) to improve results from treatments and assessments.

Companies often contact rehabilitation centres to ask for help to develop their technological products, to test them, to buy them or to prescribe them to clients. The range of novel technologies (to be developed) is wide. The potential added-value for rehabilitation treatment is high and challenging. However, the innovation and implementation of new rehabilitation technology is (too) slow.

Problem 1 : ‘Valley of Death’

Many initiatives and potential innovations concerning rehabilitation technology (RT) do not mature and are not implemented in rehabilitation. Causes are :

• Poor transparency : lack of a single route for RT-providers to contact the healthcare facility.
• Poor cooperation : lack of structured cooperation between RT-companies & rehabilitation experts.
• Poor patient involvement : RT-development often happens without the involvement of patients.
• Poor financial transparency : lack of clarity (at patient care institution level) about the affordability of new technology.
• Poor market entry : technology developments often go so fast that a) treating physicians cannot follow this ; b) a thorough effect evaluation is too slow in terms of time & execution ; c) for healthcare facilities is not clear which technology to purchase ; d) technologies are not integrated in care processes.

Problem 2 : Wrong use & Patient safety

RT is potentially harmful for patients if used wrongly or at the wrong time during treatment. A correct indication for RT is often missing. Also missing is a) structured testing of effectiveness with input from patients ; b) internationally uniform descriptions of fields of application for a product in rehabilitation treatment ; c) certification as to the use of the product in treatments.

Global goals

i2-CoRT involves 2 dearly related routes, namely a) a procedural & infrastructural route (i.e. the development of 3 clinical testing centres in the vicinity of rehabilitation centres with a network of cooperating knowledge institutes and companies) and b) a concrete product-oriented route (in this case 5 so called innovation ‘model projects’ in which concrete RT innovation ideas are elaborated and which will serve as examples to test and improve the procedures from route 1). i2-CoRT tackles this as follows :

• 1. Development of 3 clinical testing centres for complex rehabilitation technology (RT)

i2-CoRT creates 3 clinical test environments, in the immediate vicinity of rehabilitation centres, where RT innovations can be developed and tested as to their safe application in care.

Goals :

1. innovation-friendly infrastructure
2. protocols
3. trans-disciplinary knowledge sharing
4. innovation acceleration
5. co-creation

• 2. Development of knowledge axis on rehabilitation technology

i2-CoRT extends the Euregional knowledge-axis ‘ Rehabilitation Robotics ‘ into a knowledge-axis ‘Rehabilitation Technology ‘ and strengthens this with existing and new companies.

Goals :

1. attraction of RT innovations
2. attracting of business activity
3. broadening of market supply and demand beyond national markets
4. facilitating cooperation between Euregional partners, each with their additional expertise and capabilities
5. trans-disciplinary improvement of knowledge
6. knowledge assurance.

• 3. Euregional comparison

i2-CoRT facilitates Euregional comparison (concerning e.g. content, legislative framework, market differences) and exchange of success elements/best practices, leading to a) improvement of procedures and processes (SOP’s) in the test centres ; b) cross-border guidelines for correct indication and proper use of RT.

Goals :

1. quality assurance
2. rehabilitation indication
3. Transnational certification

• 4. New rehabilitation technological products

i2-CoRT develops and evaluates, through so-called ‘model projects’ new RT products which, together with companies, will be valorised and implemented transnationally  in rehabilitation settings and other markets.

Goals :

1. development of new RT products through intensive co-creation
2. evaluation of new RT products
3. cross-border rehabilitation implementation and care innovation

• 5. Cross-border activity

i2-CoRT encourages cross-border activity regarding a) RT development ; b) commercialization of RT products developed ; c) innovative rehabilitation treatment concepts ; d) new RT rehabilitation concepts for (former) patients at home.

Goals :

1. Creation of  jobs
2. market launch of new RT products
3. market widening

Responsable

Jean-François KAUX
Médecine de l'appareil locomoteur

Les co-financeurs

• Wallonie
• Province de Limbourg B
• Land NRW
• NL Provincie Noord-Brabant

Partenaires

• Adelante Zorggroep (LP)
• VZW Jessa Ziekenhuis
• Universiteit Hasselt
• Universiteit Maastricht
• Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Faculteit Industrial Design
• Universitätsklinikum Aachen, für die Medizinische Fakultät der RWTH Aachen
• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège
• Hogeschool PXL
• Zuyd Hogeschool, Heerlen
• Pôle MecaTech ASBL
• Université de Liège
• Adelante Zorggroep