Would you be interested in a "compliance monitoring system"?
Steve's Account
Description
Collection
Title:
Would you be interested in a "compliance monitoring system"?
Creator:
Steve's Account
Date:
3/23/2001
Text:
Ladies and Gentlemen;
We've got an idea for a compliance monitoring system which can be used
to monitor the wearing times of an orthosis (or prosthesis).
The system will be in two pieces; a data collection and analysis device,
and the sensor system.
Each facility will have palm top (Palm Pilot) with a special adapter cable
and analysis software. This will be used to display the data from the
sensors.
Each orthosis/prosthesis being monitored will have a cylindrical device
about the size of 5 US dimes, stacked up, added while the device is being
manufactured.
When the patient returns to your facility, the Palm Pilot will be used to
collect and process the data from the sensor. From this data, it will be
possible to determine patterns of use.
We foresee that this device will be most useful in those areas where patient
compliance with physician/therapist/orthotist/prosthotist instructions is
important to the treatment outcome. Examples might be: scoliosis bracing,
tone reduction orthosis, bracing used in Legg-Perthes disease, treatment
of skin ulcers where bracing is used as a protective device and where
orthotics are used to maintain gains in range of motion after serial
casting.
The device could either be obvious, and disclosed to the patient, or
clandestine and hidden in the padding/shell of the orthosis. (It's likely
to be most effective if it's hidden).
The device could be used by the orthotist/prosthetist to coach and
encourage compliance.
It could also be used to determine if lack of compliance is the cause of
an apparent treatment failure as opposed to a problem with the orthosis
design or implementation. Such information would be valuable to the
patient's treatment team in determining if further efforts at orthotic
intervention were appropriate before moving to other alternatives, such
as surgery.
As currently envisioned, the proposed sensor device would have a recording
duration of 3 months (after three months, the data would either wrap
around and replace older data, or it would stop recording at 3 months...
your choice). The sensor's ultimate lifespan would be about 2 years.
Projected costs of the system would be about $60 for the sensor and
installation kit (needed for each instance of monitoring) and about $600
for the start up kit containing the first sensor, monitoring software,
hardware (including the palmtop) and installation tools. One start up
kit will be useable for reading many sensors.
Do you think you'd be interested in such a device?
How many of them do you think you might use per month (or year)?
Because development costs are so hard to earn back, this is only
a trial balloon to see if this is a worthwhile project -- if you see
this as a valuable adjunct, then we'd like to proceed with the idea.
This is not a solicitation to sell, or even develop this product. This
request is designed to see if this meets enough of a need in your
practice to continue with the development effort.
I promise not to solicit anyone who responds to this request, using the
oandp-l list, or even the e-mail addresses of people who respond to
the request, UNLESS they specifically say contact me by e-mail when
and IF you have something to sell.
I recognize that EVERYONE in the industry has become cost concious, and
since this device is an adjunct to treatment, and not likely to be
reimbursed under most insurance plans (though I suspect that when they
find that better compliance leads to better outcomes.. and possibly fewer
surgeries, they might see it as more cost effective and therefore
worthy of reimbursement.) its acceptance may be limited.. hence the
request to the list membership for an interest vote.
The prices mentioned are only to address price sensitivity in this
application.
As you are all well aware, development costs in this industry are difficult
to recover. I'd like to use the guidance and judgement of the list members
to judge the practicality of this idea, as I'd rather not send money down
a rat hole if I can help it. :-)
Please respond to <Email Address Redacted> Your responses will be summarized and
reported to the list.
Thanks a lot.
Steve
We've got an idea for a compliance monitoring system which can be used
to monitor the wearing times of an orthosis (or prosthesis).
The system will be in two pieces; a data collection and analysis device,
and the sensor system.
Each facility will have palm top (Palm Pilot) with a special adapter cable
and analysis software. This will be used to display the data from the
sensors.
Each orthosis/prosthesis being monitored will have a cylindrical device
about the size of 5 US dimes, stacked up, added while the device is being
manufactured.
When the patient returns to your facility, the Palm Pilot will be used to
collect and process the data from the sensor. From this data, it will be
possible to determine patterns of use.
We foresee that this device will be most useful in those areas where patient
compliance with physician/therapist/orthotist/prosthotist instructions is
important to the treatment outcome. Examples might be: scoliosis bracing,
tone reduction orthosis, bracing used in Legg-Perthes disease, treatment
of skin ulcers where bracing is used as a protective device and where
orthotics are used to maintain gains in range of motion after serial
casting.
The device could either be obvious, and disclosed to the patient, or
clandestine and hidden in the padding/shell of the orthosis. (It's likely
to be most effective if it's hidden).
The device could be used by the orthotist/prosthetist to coach and
encourage compliance.
It could also be used to determine if lack of compliance is the cause of
an apparent treatment failure as opposed to a problem with the orthosis
design or implementation. Such information would be valuable to the
patient's treatment team in determining if further efforts at orthotic
intervention were appropriate before moving to other alternatives, such
as surgery.
As currently envisioned, the proposed sensor device would have a recording
duration of 3 months (after three months, the data would either wrap
around and replace older data, or it would stop recording at 3 months...
your choice). The sensor's ultimate lifespan would be about 2 years.
Projected costs of the system would be about $60 for the sensor and
installation kit (needed for each instance of monitoring) and about $600
for the start up kit containing the first sensor, monitoring software,
hardware (including the palmtop) and installation tools. One start up
kit will be useable for reading many sensors.
Do you think you'd be interested in such a device?
How many of them do you think you might use per month (or year)?
Because development costs are so hard to earn back, this is only
a trial balloon to see if this is a worthwhile project -- if you see
this as a valuable adjunct, then we'd like to proceed with the idea.
This is not a solicitation to sell, or even develop this product. This
request is designed to see if this meets enough of a need in your
practice to continue with the development effort.
I promise not to solicit anyone who responds to this request, using the
oandp-l list, or even the e-mail addresses of people who respond to
the request, UNLESS they specifically say contact me by e-mail when
and IF you have something to sell.
I recognize that EVERYONE in the industry has become cost concious, and
since this device is an adjunct to treatment, and not likely to be
reimbursed under most insurance plans (though I suspect that when they
find that better compliance leads to better outcomes.. and possibly fewer
surgeries, they might see it as more cost effective and therefore
worthy of reimbursement.) its acceptance may be limited.. hence the
request to the list membership for an interest vote.
The prices mentioned are only to address price sensitivity in this
application.
As you are all well aware, development costs in this industry are difficult
to recover. I'd like to use the guidance and judgement of the list members
to judge the practicality of this idea, as I'd rather not send money down
a rat hole if I can help it. :-)
Please respond to <Email Address Redacted> Your responses will be summarized and
reported to the list.
Thanks a lot.
Steve
Citation
Steve's Account, “Would you be interested in a "compliance monitoring system"?,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/216260.
