Company: Playphysio C.I.C.
Address: Future Business Centre, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge, CB4 2HY
Contact: 0797 247 9150 / enquiries@playphys.io / use our contact page
Background: Playphysio was founded by Will Jackson in 2017 with a mission to deliver benefits to patients and families managing chronic diseases. Playphysio gamifies physiotherapy treatment for people managing Cystic Fibrosis, COPD, pre and post operative recovery from thoracic surgery (e.g. lung cancer). These patient groups share similar problems; children resist treatment because it’s boring, adults skip their treatment because they ‘have no time’. This impacts upon the patients health and their whole family. Non compliance with treatment significantly increases the cost of care.
The Solution: Playphysio is developing an intelligent electronic product called myPhysioPal which can be attached to existing respiratory therapy devices. myPhysioPal turns the therapy device into a smartphone game controller. Specially created games allow the patient to run, jump and fly through each treatment session.
The most exciting prospect is that a smartphone can gamify treatment itself, this transforms young patients attitudes. It becomes fun and engaging and can be just as effective in motivating adults as it is in children. It is convenient to use with the patients existing therapy device and routine. The psychology of gamification can provide chronically sick people with a strong incentive to stay on top of their treatments. Playing games can significantly reduce treatment time, in some cases by as much as 30 working days per year. Better compliance and positive attitudes toward treatments can increase patients mental resilience, keep patients healthier for longer and significantly reduce the costs of care.
Hospitals in the UK, the USA and Australia have helped Playphysio develop the product which is due for trial in September this year.
Who is behind Playphysio: Will Jackson is a parent of a teenage daughter with cystic fibrosis, and understands the practical reality and daily challenges of managing chronic disease. He has devised a product and software to gamify boring and time consuming daily chest physiotherapy treatment with the help of his daughter. Will originally trained as a product designer, and also ran an award winning web agency for several years.
What is CF: (For more information please visit the CF Trust website https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/what-is-cystic-fibrosis) CF is the UK’s most common inherited genetic disease. It causes many symptoms for patients, the most challenging being the production extra thick mucus throughout the body.
The build-up of mucus in the lungs causes chronic infections, meaning that people with cystic fibrosis struggle with reduced lung function and have to spend hours doing physiotherapy and taking nebulised treatments each day. Exacerbations (a sudden worsening of health, often owing to infection) can lead to frequent hospitalisation for weeks at a time, interfering with work and home life.