Wakasa M.1, Saito A.1, Odashima T.2, Saito I.2, Kimoto M.1, Handa S.2, Okada K.1, Takahashi Y.3, Shibata K.4, Sato H.5
1Akita University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, Akita, Japan, 2Ugo Hospital, Ugo, Japan, 3Akita University Hospital, Department of Physical Therapy, Akita, Japan, 4Akita City Hospital, Akita, Japan, 5Akita Kousei Medical Center, Akita, Japan
Background: The population aging rate has been increasing gradually in Japan. This rate 65 and over is 26.7% in 2016 (25.1% in 2013). The aging rate will reach 39.9% with 1 in 2.5 people being 65 years and over in 2060. Akita prefecture where is located in northern part of the Honshu island is leading aging society in Japan. The aging rate in Akita Prefecture, (34.6%) as of 2016 is the highest and it will be 41% in 2035 . Due to the growth and aging of the population, increasing healthy life expectancy, improving and maintaining the quality of life has been concerned. Pursuing healthy life expectancy, it is important to improve and maintain motor functions for elderly adults.
In order to improve mobility, physical exercise program for community-dwelling older adults have been developed and proposed. However, it is very hard for therapists to visit so many places and teach the exercise in face to face. It consume amount of time and money to get each exercise place. So we have tried to teach physical exercise remotely using i-Pad.
In order to improve mobility, physical exercise program for community-dwelling older adults have been developed and proposed. However, it is very hard for therapists to visit so many places and teach the exercise in face to face. It consume amount of time and money to get each exercise place. So we have tried to teach physical exercise remotely using i-Pad.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is introduce our Web-Rehabilitation system by using an i-Pad.
Methods: There were 9 participants who were living in Ugo town in this trial study. We have used the Web conferencing system Live On (Japan Media System Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). This system has developed a unique online conferencing system. We used i-Pad air 2 for shooting a video and receiving video. The mobile router was WiMAX2＋(UQ Communications Inc, Tokyo, Japan). An upstream and downstream speed were 148Kbps. So this system permitted high-data transmission speed. The distance between the lab in Akita University and a community center in Ugo town is 90km. A physical therapist performed exercises in front of camera and watched participants who performed in front of i-Pad on the screen in the lab. We also conducted a questionnaire about this exercise teaching style by using Web-Rehabilitation system.
Results: Most of participants are satisfied with Web-Rehabilitation. Participant will learn the exercise program effectively through Web-Rehabilitation system by using i-Pad as equally effective as face to face exercise program.
Conclusion(s): Web-Rehabilitation is the services at a distance using internet technology as the service delivery medium.
Web-Rehabilitation system may be recommended for any rural area, due to its less time consuming, low cost and effectiveness.
Implications: It is well-known fact that physical exercise is very important to maintain physical abilities for older adults in everyday life. However, it is very difficult to manage an exercise program because of the time consuming and costly to have face to face exercise program. If participant learn the exercise program effectively through Web-Rehabilitation system by using i-Pad will be as equally effective as face to face exercise program, Web-Rehabilitation system may also be recommended for any rural area, due to its less time consuming, low cost and effectiveness.
Funding acknowledgements: There is no funding in this study.
Topic: Older people
Ethics approval: This study has been approved by the ethics committee of Akita University Graduate School of Medicine.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
