Insights from the CSP Conference 2024
October 23, 2024
The CSP Annual Conference 2024 brought together physiotherapists, rehabilitation professionals, and healthcare innovators to explore this year’s theme: Rehabilitation Transforms Population Health. Our Business Development Representative, Zahra Rahbari, was among the attendees, and she immersed herself in conversations about the latest advancements in rehabilitation technologies. From the challenges clinicians face in adopting innovations to the impact of immersive technology, this Q&A dives into the key insights from the event, shedding light on how we can address these pressing issues.
Q&A with Zahra Rahbari
1. What was your key takeaway from the CSP Annual Conference, especially regarding rehabilitation advancements and technology integration?
The key takeaway was the growing recognition of how rehabilitation can transform population health, particularly through digital health technologies (DHT). There's an increasing focus on leveraging these technologies to make rehabilitation more accessible, efficient, and impactful.
2. What were the main challenges clinicians highlighted when adopting new technologies into their practice?
Clinicians identified several key barriers to integrating new technologies into their workflows:
Organisational Barriers: Inconsistent processes and limited evidence on the effectiveness of emerging technologies slowed adoption.
Technology Access: Many clinicians lacked suitable devices and faced difficulties accessing adequate IT support.
Fragmented Systems: Multidisciplinary teams often worked with disconnected systems, with some still relying on a mix of paper and digital methods.
User Preferences: Some clients and patients preferred non-digital solutions, even when digital systems were efficient.
Change Fatigue: Continuous system changes created resistance among staff, especially when paired with limited access to tools and minimal troubleshooting support.
Administrative Overload: A heavy reliance on paperwork, coupled with a lack of streamlined digital processes, added to clinicians' workload.
3. Can you tell us more about the ‘Using Tech in Practice’ workshop and how it relates to our work?
The ‘Using Tech in Practice’ workshop, led by professionals from UCLan, delved into how digital health technologies can be embedded into clinical practice. We discussed the key enablers for technology integration, the challenges clinicians face, and the resources needed to support adoption. This workshop closely relates to our work, as it mirrors our mission to incorporate technology into clinical practice. The insights gained here will help us refine our approach, ensuring smoother and faster integration of our technology into healthcare settings.
4. How do you see our technology addressing the challenges clinicians face in healthcare innovation?
Our technology offers a seamless solution to many of the challenges clinicians encounter. By integrating FES with virtual reality, we provide an engaging, data-driven rehabilitation experience that accelerates recovery and improves patient outcomes. Additionally, Valkyrie reduces the administrative burden by streamlining tasks and offering hands-on training, making it easier for healthcare providers to adopt advanced rehabilitation tools.
5. What was the most inspiring moment of the event?
Meeting Jonnie McCrea and learning about his Pedal Power project was truly inspiring. His initiative involves collaborating with musicians who have both congenital and acquired disabilities, using VR to enable them to compose and perform music in ways that were previously unimaginable. This was a powerful reminder that rehabilitation is not just about physical recovery—it’s about enhancing a patient's overall quality of life. His project demonstrated the potential of immersive technology to improve social and emotional well-being alongside physical rehabilitation, which resonates deeply with the vision we have for our technology.