Current innovation projects

• VR-Therapy in anxiety disorders

  Virtual reality exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders

  Virtual reality refers to a digitally created three-dimensional environment that is displayed to a user via special glasses and can thereby be experienced. The glasses create an environment that the user can move through where the images shown are adapted to the user’s perspective.

  Background

  Therapeutically guided exposure (or confrontation) therapy is one of the most effective methods for treating phobias according to international guidelines.

  Patients are instructed to confront the object of their phobia (such as heights), rather than avoid it. However, in real world scenarios this can be challenging or not feasible due to heightened anxiety.

  This is where VR technology comes in: patients can repeatedly immerse themselves in the anxiety-inducing situations while knowing they’re safe. In addition, the therapist can adjust the level of difficulty of the exposure and monitor the patient’s progress.

  This technology, known as Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET), has been used in the treatment of anxiety disorders for several years.

  Research

  A 2022 meta-analysis by van Loenen and colleagues included 16 studies with a total of 817 subjects and confirmed the applicability of VR therapy for various anxiety disorders, such as panic disorders, generalised anxiety disorder and social phobias.

  Product and partner

  In our facilities the VR Coach Smart System is used. It features VR scenarios which allow users to interact with their environment as well as 360-degree films.

  It also offers a therapist software, allowing therapists to

  • Follow what patients are seeing in VR on a notebook
  • Intervene in what is being experienced
  • Add elements (such as talking avatars) to gradually intensify the experience

  Objectives and target group

  The main objective of using VR in mental health is to make exposure therapy accessible as a potential treatment option.

  Exposure therapy is time-intensive and human resource-heavy and is therefore used too rarely in inpatient and outpatient therapies. VR-supported therapy offers a solution as it’s both effective and time-saving.

  Generally, any patients experiencing anxiety disorders can use VR therapy. However, a therapist will assess the suitability of VR therapy for individual patients based on their specific needs and health status.

  Innovative aspect

  The innovative aspect of VR therapy in the treatment of patients with anxiety disorders is two-fold:

  • It allows patients to systematically deal with their fears and learn to cope with them in an interactive yet controlled environment that’s tailored to the needs of each patient. This increases patient motivation and engagement
  • It reduces the workload of the treatment teams and makes everyday treatment more varied, which may further increase treatment success and patient satisfaction

  Pilot testing and implementation

  The project has been very well received by both patients and therapists and is showing promising results:

  • In the patient survey, all patients stated that they would recommend VR therapy to others and over 80% wanted to continue with this treatment
  • Specialist therapists stated that VR-supported therapy should be included as a standard form of therapy
• VR-Therapy in addiction

  Virtual reality exposure therapy in the treatment of addiction

  Virtual reality refers to a digitally created three-dimensional environment that is displayed to a user via special glasses and can thereby be experienced. The glasses create an environment that the user can move through where the images shown are adapted to the user’s perspective

  Background

  In VR-supported therapy for addiction, patients are placed in a virtual environment that represents potential triggers for their addictive behaviour.

  The benefit is that it enables patients to practise responding to addictive triggers in a safe and controlled environment without exposure to real risk – in other words, they’re not in the presence of, for example, a real alcoholic drink or gaming machine.

  Research

  Although more research is needed to confirm the long-term effectiveness and benefits of VR exposure therapy, studies are showing positive and promising results:

  • Effective in reducing cravings for addictive substances, lowering relapse rates and strengthening patients’ self-control
  • Its immersive nature can help increase patient motivation and improve their ability to cope with addiction triggers

  Product

  In our facilities the VR Coach Smart System is used. It features VR scenarios which allow users to interact with their environment as well as 360-degree films.

  It also offers a therapist software, allowing therapists to

  • Follow what patients are seeing in VR on a notebook
  • Intervene in what is being experienced
  • Add elements (such as talking avatars) to gradually intensify the experience

  Objectives and target group

  The objectives of using VR-supported exposure therapy for addiction include:

  • Reducing cravings and other symptoms of addiction
  • Promoting abstinence and relapse prevention
  • Improving coping strategies
  • Increasing patients’ self-confidence and self-control

  Generally, any patients with addiction disorders can use VR therapy in the MEDIAN Group facilities. However, a therapist will assess whether it’s suitable for each patient based on their specific needs and health status.

  Pilot testing

  The pilot project ‘VR-supported therapy in addiction’ is being carried out in five MEDIAN Group clinics in Germany.

• AI-guided neurological therapy

  AI-guided speech and cognitive therapy

  Tablet app as a digital aid in the therapy for language, cognition and everyday skills

  Background

  Neurological conditions or diseases, like a stroke or cerebral haemorrhage, often limit speech and cognitive performance. To retrain these, intensive and individualised therapy is necessary, which, however, can’t always be realised due to a lack of resources.

  Product and partner

  myReha is a certified medical app for tablets that is suitable for the treatment of speech disorders (aphasia) and cognitive deficits from strokes, cerebral haemorrhages or other neurological diseases such as dementia or Long COVID.

  myReha uses AI developed by nyra.health to create a personalised training plan for patients and adapts the exercise content to individual needs:

  • The exercise plan is constantly adapted by analysing language and cognitive biomarkers, ensuring training is always optimal
  • Weekly reports provide a visualisation of the therapy progress

  Objectives and target group

  myReha is offered to patients who are at the end of their medical rehabilitation and can be used in both individual and group therapy settings. The objective is to increase patient motivation and improve quality of care.

  Innovative aspect

  myReha brings an innovative approach to the treatment of neurological conditions:

  • It enables patients to train according to their individual abilities and improve their training
  • Therapists can closely monitor patients’ progress and adapt their treatment plan by collecting and analysing data continuously

  Pilot and implementation

  The pilot project is taking place in the MEDIAN Clinics Bad Liebenstein and NRZ Magdeburg.

• VR therapy in neurology

  Virtual reality therapy in neurology

  Effective training to improve physical skills and cognitive functions

  Virtual reality refers to a digitally created three-dimensional environment that is displayed to a user via special glasses and can thereby be experienced. The glasses create an environment that the user can move through where the images shown are adapted to the user’s perspective

  Background

  Neurological conditions can affect everyone differently. To relearn the skills restricted by the condition and reprogramme the brain, patients require ongoing, progressive training.

  That’s why MEDIAN Group is piloting the use of virtual reality to optimise and personalise treatment for patients with cognitive and sensorimotor deficits.

  Research

  Although further research is needed to confirm the long-term effectiveness of VR therapy, studies[AD1]  are extensive and show promising results:

  • It can help improve the physical abilities and cognitive functions of patients with neurological conditions
  • The immersive nature can increase patient motivation and engagement, leading to better rehabilitation outcomes

  Product and partner

  We’re piloting the software CUREO to support cognitive and sensorimotor rehabilitation in a playful way. The software:

  • Offers modular training units and over 50 different training sessions
  • Involves the use of an individual’s upper extremities and torso
  • Can be integrated into existing rehabilitation programmes in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and neuropsychology
  • Features ‘hand tracking’: the VR glasses recognise the user’s hands, so these are used rather than a controller. This facilitates the transfer from practice to everyday movement

  Objectives and target group

  myReha is offered to patients who are at the end of their medical rehabilitation and can be used in both individual and group therapy settings. The objective is to increase patient motivation and improve quality of care.

  Innovative aspect

  myReha brings an innovative approach to the treatment of neurological conditions:

  • It enables patients to train according to their individual abilities and improve their training
  • Therapists can closely monitor patients’ progress and adapt their treatment plan by collecting and analysing data continuously

  Pilot testing and implementation

  The pilot project ‘VR-supported therapy in neurology’ is carried out in five MEDIAN clinics.

• Voice profiling in mental health services

  Voice Profiling in mental health services

  Voice biomarkers for an objective measurement of psychological symptoms

  Background

  Objective parameters to support diagnosis and treatment of mental illness don’t yet exist and the assessment of symptoms still relies on self-report questionnaires.

  Voice biomarkers are a promising new approach as it’s been established that the voice changes depending on the condition. With the help of AI, the characteristic voice biomarkers can be assigned to different conditions, potentially supporting early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

  Although numerous studies have shown that depression, for example, can be recognised algorithmically based on the voice, the technology has to make the leap into practice. The existing AI algorithms haven’t been sufficiently trained with large volumes of complex and varied data from real-life situations.

  Objective

  That’s why MEDIAN Group and PeakProfiling, a start-up specialising in the diagnosis of diseases based on the voice, have entered a partnership.

  PeakProfiling brings a unique technology while MEDIAN Group brings extensive clinical expertise and access to patients. Initially, the collaboration will be rolled out at MEDIAN in Germany and Priory in the UK.

  The long-term goal is to jointly develop products that can be used to objectively measure mental illness, thereby creating added value to clinical diagnostics and care.

• Cardio-respiratory fitness

  Evaluation of cardio-respiratory fitness

  Rapid, non-invasive assessment of cardio-respiratory fitness at rest

  Background

  VO2max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption attainable during physical exertion. In rehabilitation it’s normally measured using Spiroergometry, the ‘gold standard’ for measuring cardiorespiratory fitness. However, this test can be challenging and time-consuming.

  Seismofit is a promising solution. It’s a small device that can determine a patient’s VO2max at rest in just 45 seconds.

  It records the cardiac micro-vibrations in the low-frequency range, which are triggered by heartbeats and transmitted via the sternum:

  • Providing important information about the strength of contractions, the cardiac timing and the rhythm of the heart
  • The values can be used to assess the mechanical function of the heart and a person’s cardiovascular fitness level

  Product and partner

  Seismofit is placed on the patient’s chest in the resting/supine position using an adhesive patch.

  It’s activated via the VentiJect app, which records the patient’s seismocardiography (SCG) signal for 40 seconds. The recording is transmitted to a cloud solution using AI, and an advanced algorithm determines the patient’s VO2max and transmits it back to the app.

  Objective

  This project aims to compare the results of traditional and time-intensive Spiroergometry with Seismofit to assess the degree of correlation between the respective test values.

  Innovation aspect

  With Seismofit, patients who are unable to complete a maximal exercise test can still obtain a VO2max estimate. It also saves a significant amount of time compared to traditional Spiroergometry.

  By accurately estimating the maximum oxygen consumption, therapists and doctors can better monitor the physical performance of their patients and create personalised training plans.

  Pilot testing and implementation

  The first part of the project took place from October 2023 to April 2024. After discussions with VentriJect, the second project phase started in 2024, which includes a study with cardiac patients.