PumpOne plans to introduce an iPhone app in March that connects patients with physical therapists and trainers, allowing the swapping of workouts as well as performance data.
(Credit: PumpOne)
Personal trainers and physical therapists will be able to e-mail customized workouts with their own business logos to patients.
(Credit: PumpOne)These professional versions build on the Share Workout feature, but include the ability for trainers and therapists to swap out the PumpOne logo with their own (this is perhaps Schlosser's favorite feature: "I mean, it really is crazy," he exclaims); to fully customize the workouts with their own images, videos, instructions, etc.; and to retrieve performance updates from patients once the workouts are done. If a workout is sent to someone without the app, that person simply clicks on a PDF with embedded images, printable instructions, etc. The problem with physical therapy today, according to PumpOne:
A static image with text on a piece of paper leads to a compliance rate of 20 to 30 percent. These tools lack compliance checks and motivational incentives for the patient and offer very little customization to potential progress and/or variation. Additionally, the therapist must attempt to deliver a full repertoire of education early in the course of recovery knowing full well that much of the education will be lost by the time it is used--if at all.Of course, the whole system relies on self-reporting, which Schlosser recognizes. There is nothing in this suite of apps that prevents or even discourages someone from simply lying about what was accomplished over the course of a given workout. But technology alone isn't going to weed out those among us who are willing to shell out money for the app and not do the work. If this is you, consider investing instead in an app that yells at you each time you are cheating yourself.
