Porto Potenza, Italy.
The first European training school for the use of robotic instrumentation for rehabilitation ended today – the first event of its kind in Europe.
The course covered the state-of-the-art technologies available for physical and neurological rehabilitation. These developments have the important aim of improving the clinical results obtainable with each patient and making the entire rehabilitative and therapeutic process increasingly transparent and quantifiable.
The week-long Robotic Rehabilitation Summer School took place at the headquarters in Porto Potenza Picena of Santo Stefano Rehabilitation, a member of the KOS Group. Taking part was a group of about twenty rehabilitation specialists from around the world. Their aim was to acquire skills and experience in the use of the most advanced rehabilitation equipment.
The field training covered the use of numerous instruments, from the Ekso exoskeleton, to devices such as ReWalk, Erigo and Amaleo. It also covered innovative approaches like Virtual Reality and remote delivery of rehabilitation and occupational therapies.
The school was hosted by Santo Stefano, with the involvement of ESPRM – the European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, UEMS – the European Union of Medical Specialists in rehabilitation, SIMFER – the Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, SIRN – the Italian Society of Neurological Rehabilitation, UNIVPM- the Marche Polytechnic University and other international scientific institutions.
The school’s extremely intense and varied program included residential sessions in Porto Potenza Picena (with theory lessons held at the Santo Stefano auditorium), as well as field training using real equipment at a number of locations in the facility. A one-day session was held at the University of Ancona in the laboratories of the Faculty of Neuro-rehabilitation, while another day was also devoted to the use of instruments to analyse movement and posture (the Lampo laboratory) part of Santo Stefano’s equipment, together with a wide range of robotic rehabilitation apparatus.
Chinese doctors take robotics class
Five days of training for a group of Chinese doctors on the application of robotics and technology to rehabilitation. In December 2017, in Porto Potenza Picena, an intensive course was held to present the innovative technologies available at the Santo Stefano Rehabilitation centre. The course addressed the scientific, methodological and clinical aspects of each topic with lectures and specially-created videos and documentation. The participants accompanied their tutors on visits to the centre’s departments and work areas, as well as undergoing practical training sessions. The training groups were led by the doctors, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and psychologists who use these devices each day to assist their clinical activities.
