Theme 2: Remote Monitoring and Virtual Care
Intergenerational Pelvic Floor Exercise Programs
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Lead:
Martin Ferguson-Pell
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INNOVATION STAGE
Proof of Concept
Health Innovation Focus
Mobility and Rehabilitation
Population and Setting
Postpartum; Older Adults; Rural and Remote
Technology and Intervention
Digital Communication
BENEFITS
For Users
Improved Pelvic Health: Regular, guided exercises strengthen pelvic muscles and address issues like incontinence and pelvic pain.
Convenient Access: Telerehabilitation provides easy access to care, removing travel barriers for women in rural areas.
Personalized Care: The program can adapt to individual needs, offering tailored guidance for postpartum and post-menopausal recovery.
Enhanced Community Engagement: Intergenerational programs encourage support and interaction among participants, building a sense of community.
For The System
Improved Health Outcomes: Access to early and ongoing pelvic floor care helps prevent complications, reducing long-term healthcare costs.
Accessible Care Delivery: Telerehabilitation models extend healthcare reach to underserved areas.
Innovative Research Opportunities: This project will generate valuable insights into the effectiveness of telerehabilitation for pelvic health, potentially informing broader applications.
Project Theme Information
Women in rural and remote areas face considerable challenges in accessing pelvic floor rehabilitation services, leading to delayed or missed care. Although pelvic floor exercises are proven to be effective, only a small percentage of postpartum women receive early care, while older women often find their symptoms dismissed.
An initiative to transform pelvic floor health for women in rural and remote areas by exploring the impact of intergenerational versus monogenerational exercise programs through innovative telerehabilitation solutions. The project aims to improve health outcomes related to incontinence and to foster community engagement.
In a series of projects, the University of Alberta team is creating virtual assessment protocols and rehabilitation programs. These programs offer guided pelvic floor exercises delivered through telerehabilitation, allowing participants to join from home. They are investigating intergenerational (multi-age) and monogenerational (single-age) formats to understand which structure offers the best support and outcomes.
Other Known Cases:
Digital workbooks have been designed to help recovering addicts Exercise videos have been implemented to to provide ongoing rehabilitative services to patients. Specific use cases include pelvic floor rehabilitation, upper extremity stroke spasticity, remote is chemic conditioning, and the Inverted Can Test.
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