Applied research aims to improve the rehabilitation of stroke victims

In its new national Flagship Initiative, which supports 15 innovative collaborative research projects, Innosuisse has approved three large-scale projects in which the University of Applied Sciences is involved through the Institute of Informatics. To better understand how this project can impact the lives of stroke patients, Henning Müller, Professor and researcher at the Institute, answers a few questions about the interdisciplinary SwissNeuroRehab project.

What is the SwissNeuroRehab project?

The SwissNeuroRehab project aims at developing a novel model of neurorehabilitation along the continuum of care, from the hospital to home. The project is led by the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) will focus on stroke, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Through the partnership between university hospitals, research centers, neurorehabilitation clinics, therapists and the industry, SwissNeuroRehab combines the best available approaches for neurorehabilitation with new digital and technological methods to create innovative and efficient therapeutic programs tailored to the individual needs of patients and their families.

What motivated the submission of the SwissNeuroRehab project?

The HES-SO Valais leads the sub project on the data management platform. The impact of stroke and traumatic brain injury on the individual and society is important and several companies are active in the field but it seems that much of the rehabilitation is still not fully data driven. This and the important market potential lead us to submit this project.

How can this project positively impact the lives of stroke patients?

Many people have stroke that has a massive impact on their quality of life. Currently, the optimal treatment/rehabilitation for an individual stroke patient is not fully clear. The project should acquire standardized data that will optimize the treatment/rehabilitation steps in a personalized manner.