The Apelvo Technology – Developed by Fysor GmbH

Fysor GmbH from Weil im Schönbuch developed Apelvo, a training system that uses external sensors to record pelvic floor muscle activity. The data controls games on a smartphone or tablet, making training location-independent, discreet and motivating.

Apelvo is suitable for women, men and children alike, is non-invasive in its application and designed to be seamlessly integrated into daily life. The goal is to enable patients, after an introduction by physiotherapists, midwives or doctors, to continue training independently without having to forgo professional support. For Fysor, the pilot was an opportunity to collect systematically derived professional user feedback in order to maximize long-term training success and further develop the system to reach even more people.

Results & Insights

The Regional Living Lab in the region of BioRegio STERN provided valuable insights into the strengths and challenges of digital rehabilitation technologies using Apelvo as an example. Under real conditions, not only usability and user experience but also the potential for broader use of such online solutions were examined. For Fysor GmbH as the participating technology provider, the focus was on deriving clear development impulses from solid user feedback to optimize Apelvo in a targeted manner and ensure long-term training success. In times of staff shortages and undersupply, Apelvo aims to show how training options can be rethought: flexible and available at any time.

The results demonstrate that digital rehabilitation tools such as Apelvo are convincing in key areas: participants found the operation intuitive, the biofeedback motivating and particularly appreciated the ability to train independently of location, whether at home, on the go or in a facility. A more neutral, inclusively designed user interface as well as targeted support for older or less digitally savvy user groups could further increase acceptance.

USE-Ing. GmbH, which moderated and evaluated the focus group as service provider, also sees the feedback obtained as an important contribution to the further development of digital rehabilitation technologies. The trial confirmed the high value of early involvement of end users in development processes in order to identify targeted opportunities for improvement and to design practical solutions. The findings from the focus group and their contribution to the development of innovative rehabilitation technologies are continuously incorporated into the RehAllianCE project and do not end with the conclusion of the pilot.

Outlook

The Regional Living Lab in Baden-Württemberg once again highlights the innovative strength of the region of BioRegio STERN, which, with its openness to novel digital solutions in rehabilitation, makes an important contribution to future-proof care approaches. The insights gained from this pilot study will be evaluated together with the results of the other Regional Living Labs in the partner countries.

These combined experiences feed into the Smart-Rehab-INDEX, a Europe-wide benchmarking tool for rehabilitation systems developed within RehAllianCE. The index is intended to identify strengths and weaknesses of existing care systems, make progress in the introduction of innovative technologies measurable and derive targeted improvement measures. In this way, the project contributes to the long-term integration of digital and inclusion-oriented solutions into everyday care and to making rehabilitation in Europe more efficient and future-proof.