Contents
Physical therapy decisions are driven by data points. Each new data point brings a therapist closer to their patient's diagnosis, but the question is—how many data points does a therapist need before they find the right diagnosis?
In some cases, determining treatment is fast, but in others, testing and time can take a toll on the patient while they work to recognize the right solution. Is there a way to make the therapy decision-making process easier, so patients receive answers faster?
Infrared Assessments for Timely Diagnosis
Therapists are turning to modern technology to conduct fast, highly detailed mobility assessments to increase precision and efficiency in their diagnoses. For example, therapy companies and senior living communities across the U.S. are using a therapy tool called VSTBalance to quickly create data-driven reports to inform treatment plans. Here’s how it works.
When a resident or patient comes to therapy for a yearly assessment or even a monthly check-up, their therapist might use VSTBalance to perform a series of 2-minute assessments to collect data on their gait, balance, and function. At the end of these tests, VSTBalance will display an analytics dashboard for a visual representation of the resident’s current mobility, as well as the progress they’ve made over time. How is this tool better than manual diagnostics? For one, the process is streamlined, making these assessments easier for both the therapist and the patient. Secondly, infrared sensors can be much more specific than the human eye when it comes to recording small changes over time. Sensors can tell changes down to millimeters and milliseconds. These measurements are just too specific to be caught by humans but are important to determining trends.
The Benefits of Using VSTBalance:
- Better decision-making earlier in the treatment funnel
- Assessments are repeatable and precise
- Assessments are as accurate as 3D labs and Gait Rite
- Data is accurate up to 1mm
VSTBalance saves therapists time and leaves room for personal interpretation—because every therapist interprets data differently. VSTBalance is an instrument therapists use to inform their plans—one that provides data to supplement their decisions and expertise. Therapists across the US are seeing up to 85% mobility improvement in residents using this system.
See how our clients are using VSTBalance here.
Request a Demo of VSTBalance here.