Sung-Min Rhee, CEO of Itphy (Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital)
Teaching Exercises at Home and Tracking Rehabilitation Process
Reporter Jeong-A Lee (Chosun Biz)
Sung-Min Rhee, CEO of Itphy (Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital), stated on the 26th of last month, "Due to short consultation times and limitations in explaining exercises, I developed the app 'RINGDOC' to provide personalized exercise methods for patients." – Kyung Hee University Hospital
For patients with shoulder pain, such as frozen shoulder or rotator cuff tears, appropriate exercise must accompany treatment. Without proper exercise, shoulder recovery can take a long time. On the other hand, excessive exercise can negatively affect the shoulder.
The challenge is that patients often don't know how much exercise is appropriate. It is also difficult for doctors to know whether patients are exercising regularly at home or performing the exercises correctly. Sung-Min Rhee, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Kyung Hee University Hospital and CEO of Itphy, shared this concern. He believed that if patients could be guided on how to exercise at home, it would significantly help in the recovery process.
In an interview on the 26th of last month at his hospital's research lab, Sung-Min Rhee said, "Orthopedics usually focuses on surgery, but I thought there was a lack of focus on rehabilitation and improving functionality after surgery. Due to short consultation times, explaining exercises to patients was challenging. That’s why I developed the 'RINGDOC' app to provide personalized exercise methods for patients."
Q: Why should patients with shoulder pain do exercises?
"Frozen shoulder is a condition where the joint capsule surrounding the shoulder becomes inflamed and stiff. The correct medical term is 'adhesive capsulitis.' Rotator cuff tears are caused by damage to the tendons that move the shoulder. Both conditions can cause intense shoulder pain. After surgery, appropriate rehabilitation exercises help restore arm movement. This means the range of motion in the shoulder can improve more quickly."
Q: What does 'Itphy' mean?
"Itphy comes from the combination of 'IT' (Information Technology) and 'physical,' referring to the physical aspect. The name was chosen because we believe rehabilitation can be solved through IT technology."
Q: What motivated you to start Itphy?
"Patients who have undergone surgery often have many questions about their rehabilitation exercises. For example, they wonder if the exercises they are doing are safe, whether they can use hot or cold compresses on painful areas, or whether they can stretch when in pain. However, the consultation time at university hospitals is only 3-5 minutes, making it difficult to provide detailed explanations. Patients watching YouTube for exercise guidance also have limitations. That's when I thought we needed an app that could suggest personalized exercises for patients and monitor whether they are doing them regularly. That's why I founded Itphy and developed the app 'RINGDOC,' which connects doctors and patients."
Q: What is RINGDOC?
"RINGDOC is a service that provides exercise advice and related content to patients through chat. We continuously monitor whether patients are performing the exercises diligently. In simple terms, it teaches exercise methods through the smartphone screen, and the camera is used to check if the patient is performing the exercises correctly. Patients receive an analysis of their condition at the hospital, and based on that result, the doctor assigns the most suitable exercise program on RINGDOC. RINGDOC tells the patient what exercises to do at each stage and records every exercise session."
Q: How does this differ from a doctor advising rehabilitation exercises?
"For example, if a patient's joint score is 80 out of 100, in the past, I would have just told the patient to exercise. Now, we show the patient the right exercises on the screen, showing them how much to move their shoulder and at what angle. The patient can follow the exercises while watching themselves on the screen."
Q: How can you know if a patient is exercising correctly?
"RINGDOC uses motion recognition AI to automatically track the joint positions clearly. Based on this, AI calculates the range of motion. We are currently enhancing this technology. Additionally, we are planning to apply sensors to support the AI, as AI alone still has limitations. This will allow for more accurate analysis of the recovery of joint range of motion. We have already filed patents for motion recognition technology and rehabilitation program integration services in both South Korea and the United States."
Q: So, doctors can track whether a patient has exercised or not?
"Exactly. It records how regularly and accurately the patient has exercised. The doctor can review these records during the next visit and see if the patient has done the exercises properly. Not only does the app keep track of exercise, but it also compares pain levels and recovery progress with other patients' averages. For example, if the patient is a woman in her 60s, the app will tell how her health data compares to other women in her age group, and how her recovery speed compares."
Q: Can RINGDOC also provide personalized rehabilitation advice based on the data?
"Yes. By reviewing RINGDOC’s data, doctors can adjust the difficulty of exercises for patients who find it too hard or too easy. RINGDOC also provides necessary health information. For example, many patients with rotator cuff tears often have vitamin D deficiencies, so we advise them to take vitamin D, which is known to aid in muscle and tendon recovery. Currently, RINGDOC is being used in 30 major hospitals in South Korea, including Kyung Hee University Hospital, and several medical experts are consulting on the app."
Q: Can doctors also communicate directly with patients through the app?
"Yes. We answer patients' questions via chat. We also send motivational messages, such as 'Well done on your exercises yesterday' for patients who performed well, or 'It was hard yesterday, but let’s work together today' for those who missed their workout. Patients often say that it feels like they are exercising with their doctor at home."
Q: I heard that you have tested the effectiveness of RINGDOC?
"We tested RINGDOC with 300 patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair surgery for about six months. We found that using RINGDOC led to significantly faster recovery and reduced pain compared to those who didn’t use it. For patients with frozen shoulder, recovery typically takes months or even years, but using RINGDOC significantly shortened the recovery time. One patient with frozen shoulder started exercising with RINGDOC for two weeks and was able to raise her arm after just two weeks. The positive results were clear and gratifying, showing that RINGDOC works effectively in everyday life."
Q: Can doctors use RINGDOC for research purposes?
"Yes, RINGDOC can be used as a tool for comparing the effectiveness of different surgeries in university hospitals. Pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers can also use RINGDOC to measure the effectiveness of specific medications or devices compared to existing treatments."
Q: Are there similar apps to RINGDOC?
"In South Korea, there are fitness and pilates apps, but it is rare to find an app created by doctors specifically for rehabilitation. RINGDOC is an IT platform service for rehabilitation created by a specialized doctor. Based on clinical research, we plan to release the official version of RINGDOC in November this year, and we are also seeking approval as a medical device from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In the U.S., several companies are developing similar apps, with Hinge Health being a leading example. The rehabilitation app market is growing rapidly in the U.S. and Europe, where healthcare access is more limited, leading to high demand in the market. We also plan to expand overseas."
Q: What are your future goals?
"We are developing technology that can track exercises using AI and sensors, even with just a wrist sensor. In the future, I hope RINGDOC will be used not only for orthopedics but also for patients in other specialties. Many patients who have had strokes or breast cancer surgeries also experience shoulder pain. We aim to help these patients recover their shoulder, hip, knee, and spinal joints as well."
Source: Chosun Ilbo, September 7, 2024
Chosun Economy > Science