CareSource and digital health startup Augment Therapy team together on pilot program

CareSource and Augment Therapy®, a digital health company enhancing rehabilitative healthcare and exercise through immersive and gamified technology, recently announced a strategic pilot program that will take place in the state of Ohio and will cover a variety of provider settings in four partner locations. The sites will range from pediatric children’s hospitals servicing inpatient and outpatient care, adult rehab and skilled nursing facilities, and provider-focused at-home healthcare.  

The objective of this pilot program is to expand rehabilitative care through augmented reality therapy exercises provided by Augment Therapy’s immersive product offerings. Unique to Augment Therapy’s software, its proprietary MOCAST™ patent-pending technology offers full-body skeletal tracking using computer vision technology where wearables are not required for interactive therapy sessions. Therapy through evidence-based gamified exercise offers a more engaging experience for patients while providers can easily monitor progress at any time.  

Augment Therapy is focused on improving the experience of exercise through transformative technology and aims to make it easier for people of all physical and cognitive ability levels to adhere to exercise.

“At last year’s DD Awareness and Advocacy Day in Columbus, Augment Therapy’s software garnered significant attention and interest, as demonstrated by the crowds of people waiting for the live demo,” said Solomon Parker, Director, I/DD Programs at CareSource. “I had the good fortune of meeting Lindsay Watson, Augment Therapy’s CEO and Co-founder and learning about the company’s software. I was inspired by Lindsay’s dedicated passion for making therapy more accessible to address the needs of people with a vast array of physical and cognitive disabilities.” 

The research component of this pilot will highlight how access to Augment Therapy encourages children, adults and seniors to participate in increased exercise opportunities while determining feasibility and adherence rates of using Augment Therapy for coordinated care; both in the clinic and at-home environments. Expected outcomes include increased engagement and compliance in rehabilitative care, which could further impact a reduction in the duration of inpatient stays, increased functional mobility levels, reduction of risk associated with readmissions as well as increased overall patient satisfaction. 

Having been a physical therapist for over 20-years, Augment Therapy’s co-founder, Lindsay Watson PT, MPT, knew far too well that one of the most difficult aspects of her job was keeping her patients engaged and motivated. Seeing limited options for rehabilitative care, Lindsay co-created Augment Therapy with Steve Blake, a software developer of over 30-years, to address this gap in the market. She found a way by creating a therapy software solution that is fun for kids, engaging for adults and an effective tool for providers.   

“Augment Therapy’s use of augmented reality technology is poised to revolutionize the field of physical therapy,” added Parker. “By creating a more engaging and interactive experience as an enhancement to traditional physical therapy, this software can help motivate and encourage participation more fully in therapy sessions, which can lead to better outcomes and higher quality of life.”

The partnership between Augment Therapy and CareSource is an exciting development that has the potential to improve the lives of individuals who require therapy services. By working collaboratively with health care providers, this partnership can help provide a more personalized therapy experience tailored to the needs and abilities of both Augment Therapy and CareSource members.