The aim of the €2.6 million project was to improve the individualised treatment of Parkinson’s patients regardless of their location. The ParkinsonAKTIV treatment approach is to be integrated into the regular care of people with Parkinson’s disease.
Nuromedia GmbH from Cologne announces the completion of the research project ParkinsonAKTIV (AKtivierende Therapien im Innovativen Versorgungsnetz). The project started on 1 October 2020 and ran until 30 September 2024. In addition to NUROMEDIA, other companies involved in the project were Münster University Hospital, Department of Neurology, AOK NORDWEST, inav – privates Institut für angewandte Versorgungsforschung GmbH and ECONUM Unternehmensberatung. The project was subsidised with € 2.6 million from the innovation fund of the Federal Joint Committee. The Federal Joint Committee is the highest self-governing body in the German healthcare system.
Project background
Parkinson’s is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder in Germany. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 people are affected and the prevalence is expected to increase in the future due to demographic change. Typical symptoms include tremors in the arms and legs as well as difficulties with walking, speaking and swallowing. In advanced stages, cognitive impairment can also occur, which in some cases can lead to dementia. Although Parkinson’s cannot be cured, the progression of the disease can be slowed down with medication and activating therapies from the fields of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. However, only around a third of Parkinson’s patients currently receive specific activating therapy.
About the project
Non-drug therapies – physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy – are of great importance in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Physiotherapy, for example, activates the same regions of the brain as dopaminergic medication. But is every type of physiotherapy equally important? What would happen if we not only prescribed ‘physiotherapy’ or ‘occupational therapy’ in general, but also recommended specific evidence-based therapies (therapies whose effectiveness has been scientifically proven) for certain symptoms in people with Parkinson’s?
ParkinsonAKTIV (AKtivierende Therapien im Innovativen Versorgungsnetz) was an innovation fund project sponsored by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), which started precisely here and stood for the intensification of care for Parkinson’s patients coordinated between the interdisciplinary practitioners with increased use of activating therapies.
The central element of the interdisciplinary network is the JamesAKTIV communication platform developed as part of the project, which is named after the discoverer of Parkinson’s disease, James Parkinson.
Another central element of the platform is the so-called digital quickcards, on which the treating neurologists document which symptoms are currently in particular need of treatment. This information is passed on to therapists (e.g. physiotherapists) via the platform, who then select evidence-based therapies for these symptoms and treat those affected accordingly. In addition, neurologists and therapists can easily exchange information via the platform in the event of difficulties and questions.
The study carried out as part of the project has been completed and the evaluation results will soon be made available to the public. If successful, the networking of all participating service providers via the web-based communication platform will also be implemented in regions other than the Münsterland project region. Once the project has been completed, the aim is to integrate the findings gathered during the project and the treatment approach of ParkinsonAKTIV and the JamesAKTIV platform developed for this purpose into the regular care of people with Parkinson’s disease.
NUROMEDIA’s tasks
As part of the project, NUROMEDIA was responsible for implementing the JamesAKTIV digital communication platform. In close collaboration with the clinical experts, NUROMEDIA also translated the Quickcard concept into a digital process and integrated it into the JamesAKTIV platform. Further functions such as an interactive care atlas and the integration of teleconsultations were also implemented by NUROMEDIA.
Further information about the ParkinsonAKTIV project: https://www.nuromedia.com/project/parkinsonaktiv/
Nuromedia GmbH
Schaafenstraße 25
50676 Köln
Contact: René Kaute
rene.kaute@nuromedia.com
+49 (0)221 – 398 808 00
About Nuromedia:
Nuromedia GmbH was founded in Cologne in 2006 and is an international software company specialising in interactive applications. As a company builder, NUROMEDIA also builds its own digital business models and develops digital solutions and sustainable business models for relevant markets. NUROMEDIA is active for established companies and in national and international research and innovation projects. Its current focus is on applications for e-health, smart industry, digital twin, IoT, serious games & gamification, machine learning/AI and e-learning. The international team of 35 employees from 22 countries is primarily made up of developers, designers, artists and entrepreneurs. The team combines expertise such as software engineering, game development, 2D/3D animation, AR, MR & VR development and UI/UX design.