Researchers from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences have partnered with Cloud DX, a health technology firm, to augment care of those with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke and dementia.
The team will integrate Cloud DX’s Connected Health Virtual Care platform into their research program to collect vital health data insights supplementary to clinic visits. Connected Health allows care teams to access data gathered from home and create personalized treatments tailored specifically around each patient's needs. The research will start in early 2022.
“With the help of Cloud DX’s Connected Health platform, we’ll be able to deliver unprecedented personalized care for each neurological patient, said Bill McIlroy, a professor in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. “Having access to this data collected at home provides unique opportunities to transform health monitoring and care. The Cloud DX platform’s advancements, along with advances in wearable technologies, will afford our clinicians the opportunity to better adjust and personalize their treatment approach based on individual patients’ experiences and measurable numbers acquired at home.
“It’s like the difference between a one-size-fits-all approach versus a custom-tailored wardrobe. Since each patient is unique, the custom-tailored approach creates a better fit and potential for a vastly superior deliverable.”
Robert Kaul, founder and CEO of Cloud DX, said, “While personalized care isn’t new, helping neurological patients through the integration of at-home and in-clinic data collection is a new path forward for Virtual Care as a platform. Our Connected Health Virtual Care platform and extensive expertise with chronic illnesses like these help our partners and clients give patients the personalized care they need.”
McIlroy’s research seeks to help individuals improve their recovery after a neurological injury such as a stroke. He is Director of the Neuroscience, Mobility and Balance Lab (NiMBaL) at UWaterloo and co-leads the Waterloo site of the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative with Karen Van Ooteghem. ONDRI is supported by the Ontario Brain Institute. McIlroy and Van Ooteghem direct the Wearables and Remote Measurement platform that works to advance the application of remote technology to improve health for those living with neurodegenerative disease.