Global Digital
Rehabilitation
SUMMIT 2024

Human-Centered Innovations and Beyond

Join the #DigitalRehabilitation revolution! Connect with experts, explore groundbreaking innovations, and collaborate to transform lives through technology in multidisciplinary rehabilitation worldwide. Register now – rethink the future!

Explore the summit’s content (Howspace)

Watch the session recordings

Highlights from Digital Rehabilitation SUMMIT 2024 from Rwanda

WHAT

Global Hybrid Event for researchers, technology innovators, rehabilitation and health care professionals and service users

WHERE

Online – Join from anywhere in the world

Rehalab, Jamk University of Applied Sciences, Jyväskylä, Finland

Digital Rehabilitation Hub, CEBE, Kigali Innovation City, Masoro, Rwanda

Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

WHEN

Thursday, 7 November 2024

From 7:30 AM to 1:45 PM (CET)

We look forward to having you join us for an inspiring day!

REGISTRATION (CLOSED)

You are welcome to present your relevant research, innovation or project.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS (CLOSED)

We have decided to bring together researchers, technology innovators, rehabilitation and healthcare professionals, and service users to share their insights and advancements in digital rehabilitation.

This event is part of our broader aim to foster new innovations and opportunities globally through evidence-based practice in digital-first rehabilitation across various service and cultural contexts.

It’s time to share and learn from each other!
We want to involve a diverse group of stakeholders, including academia, the health sector, rehabilitation service providers, international non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in this important discussion.

We are particularly interested in presentations that cover:

  • Evidence-based practices and outcomes in digital rehabilitation
  • Innovative digital rehabilitation tools and technologies
  • Implementation of digital rehabilitation in diverse service and cultural contexts: similarities and differences. What can we learn from each other?
  • Business models and opportunities for scaling digital rehabilitation globally
  • Upcoming initiatives, project ideas, and international funding opportunities

This is an opportunity to introduce your research or project, engage with international peers, and contribute to the collective knowledge and growth of the global rehabilitation community. Additionally, your participation will provide opportunities to engage with industry leaders and potential collaborators.

We look forward to having you with us at the Global Digital Rehabilitation Summit 2024!

Digital rehabilitation

Digital rehabilitation is an umbrella term defined as the use of digital technologies in the rehabilitation process by self-driven service
users, rehabilitation or health professionals, community health workers or other individuals assisting the service user. Digital rehabilitation includes remote and telerehabilitation solutions, messaging solutions, and robot- or AI-assisted technologies to improve the accessibility of rehabilitation services. Similarly to traditional rehabilitation, digital rehabilitation aims to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in their interactions with their environment.

Digital-first in rehabilitation

Digital-first rehabilitation is an approach within the broader field of digital rehabilitation. It prioritizes usage of digital solutions as the first point of contact or in some cases the main way to deliver rehabilitation services. By blending digital and traditional models of rehabilitation, a human-centered, personalized, and accessible approach to multidisciplinary rehabilitation can be ensured.

Program (CET)

7:30 AM

Breakfast (on-site)

8:00 AM

Watch here

Opening Remarks

  • Mr. Kari-Pekka Murtonen
    Chief Specialist and Head of Global Action, Institute of Rehabilitation, JAMK University of Applied Sciences
  • Dr. Francois Uwinkindi
    Division Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health
  • Dr. Päivi Sillanaukee
    Special Envoy for Health and Well-being, Ministry for Social Affairs and Health of Finland

Global challenges in access to rehabilitation

Keynote speech

  • Dr. Michel Landry
    Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, President of World Physiotherapy

Radically increasing access and equality through digital rehabilitation

9:00 AM

Break

9:10 AM

Watch Parallel session 1 Watch Parallel session 2

Welcome to follow presentations on research, innovations, implementation cases, and projects related to digital rehabilitation.

10:25 AM

Break

10:30 AM

Watch here

In this session, you will gain exclusive insights into the activities of Rehalab in Jyväskylä, Finland, and the Digital Rehabilitation Hub in Kigali, Rwanda. Additionally, you can browse presentations showcasing the latest innovations in digital rehabilitation. Join us to discover how these initiatives are transforming the landscape of rehabilitation through technology, making it more accessible for individuals in need.

11:15 AM

Lunch break & open doors in Rehalab (on-site)

12:15 PM

Watch here

Join us for an engaging workshop where we will discuss and validate the digital-first model of rehabilitation. This is an excellent opportunity to deepen your understanding of current practices and explore future possibilities in digital rehabilitation. Your voice is vital in shaping the future of digital rehabilitation!

01:30 PM

Closing remarks and next steps 

Opening remarks and speakers

Mr. Kari-Pekka Murtonen

Chief Specialist and Head of Global Action, Institute of Rehabilitation, JAMK University of Applied Sciences
Mr. Murtonen, MSc in International Health, has a background as a physiotherapist and currently serves as the Chief Specialist and Head of Global Action at the Institute of Rehabilitation, Jamk University of Applied Sciences, in Jyväskylä, Finland. He has a strong track record in international health and multidisciplinary rehabilitation, having managed projects in over 20 countries. His additional technical expertise includes inclusive development, digital health and rehabilitation, and innovation ecosystem development.

Dr. Francois Uwinkindi

Division Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health
Since 2020, Dr. Francois Uwinkindi is the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Division Manager at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), an independently governed coordination and implementation arm of the Rwanda Ministry of Health. He previously served as the Director of the Cancer Diseases Unit 2015-2019. Prior to joining the Cancer Control program, he spent five years working in national HIV control program with different roles and responsibilities in Prevention, Care & Treatment, Monitoring and Evaluation and Clinical Research. As a researcher, he has authored in more than 17 publications in peer reviewed scientific journals. In 2017, he received Cancer Young Leader Award from Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) over his achievements in cancer control in Rwanda Dr. Francois is responsible for coordinating all activities related to reducing the burden of NCDs in Rwanda, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, injury and disabilities, and diabetes, lung, renal and other metabolic diseases. Francois received his medical degree in 2008 and his Masters in Epidemiology in 2013 from the University of Rwanda.

Dr. Päivi Sillanaukee

Special Envoy for Health and Well-being, Ministry for Social Affairs and Health of Finland
Dr. Päivi Sillanaukee, Special Envoy for Health & Well-being of Finland, has over 20 years of experience in senior government and public sector roles. Actively engaged in Global Health, she has chaired global multisectoral Health Security collaborations from 2015 to 2021. Dr. Sillanaukee served as Vice chair and member of the WHO Executive Board (2018-2021) and as Executive President of the WHO/Europe Regional Committee (RC71) from 2021-2022. She is also a member of Women in Global Health, GlobalPulse, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Board, and The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health (Health AI). An expert in Finnish legislative frameworks that, e.g. enable the secondary use of social and health data for innovation policies, R&D&I, and the implementation of digital and AI solutions as well as personalized medicine, Dr. Sillanaukee is skilled in health management, security, technology, and universal health coverage. She holds an MD, PhD, eMBA, and an honorary doctorate.

Dr. Antony Duttine

Technical lead (rehabilitation), World Health Organization (WHO)
Dr. Duttine is the technical lead for rehabilitation at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. In this role he coordinates WHO’s work on strengthening rehabilitation in health systems, including rehabilitation 2030 and the world rehabilitation alliance. Antony is a physiotherapist from the UK who holds a doctorate in public health and masters in development management. He has worked in numerous settings globally including in emergency and non-emergency contexts. Prior to joining WHO HQ team, he was the Regional advisor for disability and rehabilitation at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Dr. Michel Landry

Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, President of World Physiotherapy
Michel Landry has more than 30 years of experience as a physiotherapist. He is the founder of an EdTech startup company, and is a professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Bergen, Norway) where he teaches in healthy aging and rehabilitation. His research focuses on global health, health policy, workforce and artificial intelligence. Prior to this, he was the chair of the department of physical therapy and associate dean for global health at Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States, and also spent a decade as division chief of the doctor of physical therapy division at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina in the United States.

Dr. Katariina Korniloff

Principal Researcher, Institute of Rehabilitation, JAMK University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Katariina Korniloff is a principal researcher at the Jamk Institute of Rehabilitation, and an adjunct professor of Exercise and Digital Rehabilitation at the University of Eastern Finland. She is leading and developing research activities in multidisciplinary rehabilitation in Jamk. Additional responsibilities include serving as the Vice Director of the Jamk Institute of Rehabilitation. She has nearly 20 years of experience in rehabilitation research focusing on digital rehabilitation competences and digital solutions in rehabilitation, health technology, physical activity, mental health, and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. In recent years, focus has been on developing digital rehabilitation services in low-resource settings in Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia.

Welcome to the Presentations at the Digital Rehabilitation Summit 2024!

We are pleased to present a series of engaging presentations that highlight research, innovative solutions, and implementations in digital
rehabilitation from around the world. Join us as we explore the latest advancements in this transformative field!

Time

Parallel session 1: Digital innovation and access to rehabilitation services

Watch Parallel session 1

Parallel session 2: Implementation and adoption of digital rehabilitation

Watch Parallel session 2

9:10

Project Inclusion by Physitrack – Digital first, but not digital-only.

Hannu Vuola, Physitrack / Physiotools, Estonia.

Implementing telerehabilitation solutions in Low-and-Middle Income countries.

Martin Jacobs, Humanity & Inclusion, Belgium.

9:20

Improving access to rehabilitation through a digital rehabilitation solution in Indonesian primary health care.

Hilmi Zafah Faidullah, Department of Physiotherapy, Universitas Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia

From vision to reality: Implementing a Digital Rehabilitation in Rwanda.

David K. Tumusiime, CEBE, University of Rwanda, Rwanda

9:30

Digital Center Management System”: A digital solution supporting the physical rehabilitation to enhance the services provided to health services users.

Aicha Benyaich, International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland.

RehabConnect – A Service Delivery Technological Innovation to Integrate Rehabilitation Care at the Primary Care Level: Early Implementation Lessons from Northern and Eastern Uganda.

Nukhba Zia, Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, Health Systems Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

9:40

AIRe Platform: Indonesian insights in developing AI-driven rehabilitation solution.

Ratna Sari Dewi, Industrial and Systems Engineering Department, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Indonesia.

Effectiveness of remote monitoring of patients with chronic low back pain following functional restoration program of the spine on adherence with the self-rehabilitation programme – a multicentre retrospective study.

Thomas Davergne, Axomove, France.

9:50

Knowledge, usage and challenges to digital rehabilitation among rehabilitation professionals in east Africa: a cross-sectional multi-center study.

Schadrack Byukusenge, University of Rwanda Polyclinic, Rwanda

Exploring rehabilitation technology adoption in clinical practice in the UK: introducing the RiTe model.

Rachel C. Stockley, University of Central Lancashire, UK.

10:00

Digireha offers FUN rehabilitating for Kids and effectiveness for medical therapists.

Moeko Takagi, Digireha, inc., Japan.

Experience of Tele-rehabilitation from Japan to Afghanistan for spinal cord injury patient.

Koji Tawara, Non-Profit Organization “TawaLab”, Japan

*Please note that the schedule follows CET (Central European Time)