OpenTeleRehab : improving access to rehabilitation services

What is OpenTeleRehab?

OpenTéléRehab is a telerehabilitation software. It connects rehabilitation professionals with service users to improve access to rehabilitation services and boost universal health care by enabling patients to leave hospital and continue their treatment and follow-up at home. It makes it possible for users to access made-to-measure rehabilitation treatment programs adapted to a variety of pathologies. It also allows rehabilitation professionals to provide ongoing assistance and follow-up using instant messaging or audio and video communication devices.

“OpenTeleRehab connects rehabilitation professionnals with patients to  improve access to rehabilitation services and follow-up for people living in remote areas.”

Martin Jacobs - Telerehabilitation project manager - HI

Assessing the initial stage of the project

The initial pilot stage of the project has now been completed. It has now entered an intermediate assessment stage. Users were surveyed as part of efforts to improve the user experience before extending use of the software to other services. OpenTeleRehab was developed to be intuitive and easy for patients to use, with clinical content adapted to a range of situations. OpenTeleRehab was also deployed to Cambodia and other African countries, as well as the Middle East, and Latin America is expected to follow suit in the next few months.

More than 100 professionals trained

Some one hundred beneficiaries already use the app. More than 100 rehabilitation professionals have also been trained to use the software, and additional training sessions have been held in partner centers. A total of 380 exercises are currently available for people with cerebral palsy, stroke-related conditions or head injuries, and by the end of 2022 up to one thousand exercises are expected to be available for other pathologies.

The goal is to help make quality, accessible and affordable rehabilitation services available to everyone at each stage of their life, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and in fragile settings.

These activities are made possible by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).