Partners

• Eberhard Barth, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Ulm
• Ayoub Al- Hamadi & Philipp Werner, IIKT, University of Magdeburg
• Oliver Wilhelm and Mattis Geiger, Differential Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, Ulm University
• Adriano Andrade, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory (BioLab), Federal University of Uberlandia, Brazil
• Friedhelm Schwenker, Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Ulm
• Magrit- Ann Geibel, oral, maxillofacial and facial surgery, University Hospital Ulm
   

In terms of the ecosystem thinking, diseases of the musculoskeletal system have an impact

• on the individual and his or her quality of life as well as his or her possibility for biographical self-realization.
• on the individual as an employee, their employment biography and the opportunity to identify and experience social appreciation from their employment.
• on the individual company and its planning security.
• on the health provider and its evaluation possibilities for the individual disease or therapy measure.
• on health insurance and its ability to assess the risk of the occurrence of the disease.
• on the solidarity system "health insurance" and its ability to distribute health resources fairly.
• on medical research and its ability to conduct prevention research and therapy evaluation using valid and anonymized large data sets.

All those involved in this ecosystem have a great interest in preventing the musculoskeletal system from becoming diseased. However, due to mutual lack of transparency and trust, there is no common approach to collective action in this complex socio-economic situation.

The collaborative project LOUISA addresses this problem by researching, developing and validating a learning model for multidimensional quantitative motion analysis. Innovations are:

• a quantitative movement score that is accepted as an intersubjective understandable and practicable measurand by all stakeholders in the ecosystem.
• the detection and prediction of risk factors by intuitive, human senses-appropriate 2D camera motion self-analysis and by the users self-determined extensible automatic muscle tone and pain detection.
• a defined adaptation process for future innovative sensor channels.

The benefits

In line with the concept of prevention, LOUISA enables people to carry out medical prevention with regard to musculoskeletal diseases in an uncomplicated and low-threshold manner directly at the workplace (see § 20 SGB V Primary Prevention and Health Promotion). Through a combination of efficiency and transparency, LOUISA creates trust and acceptance among all stakeholders in the ecosystem. Within the scope of occupational health management, LOUISA supports companies, organizations and health insurance companies (see § 20b SGB V Occupational Health Promotion). Furthermore, LOUISA can be used in medicine or physiotherapy as a validated measurement method using pre- and post-test methods. The comparability of the measured movement score significantly supports the selection of suitable therapy measures or methods by the doctor or therapist. It is also possible to monitor the course of therapy with LOUISA.

Success of the project

The project is successful,

• if we can make a statement about the accuracy of the individual sensor channels in detecting and predicting risk factors.
• if we can make a statement about the effort and performance of the defined adaptation process for future innovative sensor channels.
• if the model can be applied safely, practicably and with confidence in the defined ecosystem (employees, employers, health providers, health insurers, reinsurers). 

Possible ethical, legal and social implications have been researched and validated. There is nothing to prevent certification within the scope of occupational health promotion (BGF) according to § 20b SGB V and pay-off by health insurance companies.

Partners

• Frank Weber, AIMO GmbH
• Welf Löwe, Department of Computer Science and Media Technology, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Wulf Loh, International Centre for Ethics in Science, University of Tübingen

The objective

The well-being of the individual is inextricably linked to his physical health. The aim of LOUISA is to motivate people at work to actively maintain, improve and safeguard their health and quality of life.

Addressed topics

In the funding program „KMU Innovativ: Mensch-Technik-Interaktion“, the LOUISA joint project addresses the topic “Healthy life – prevention by technical accompaniment”, in particular “to motivate people by means of appealing visualization and comparability to exercise or generally healthy behavior.”

LOUISA as a learning model with a dynamic adaptation process is a technology for prevention. It combines human-technology interaction (smartphone with a mobile 2D camera scan, pain and muscle tone measurement, feedback and therapy suggestions) with machine learning and biosensor technology. Technology learns from and with humans without constantly monitoring them. LOUISA is easily accessible, user-friendly, motivated to use it intuitively, strengthens the patient’s autonomy and health responsibility and thus places the focus on people, their quality of life and their work biographical potential.