As part of the project, Klaipeda didn’t have to choose Icura, you could have opted for another solution. What made you pick the Icura solution?
Aelita Bredelytė, Klaipeda University: After thorough market research, where we looked at other solutions and talked with other partners, we really enjoyed the feedback from the Project partner, which has already used Icura before. The only issue was that we knew we needed to translate the solution into Lithuanian.
Could you tell more about the process, how it started, and when you both decided that it was a good way to go forward together?
Aelita Bredelytė, Klaipeda University: It was a long process of public procurement (over 6 months), but we have prepared the requirements for the solution and all the necessary documents. The most challenging part was to prepare the translations. Initially, everything was done by AI, but almost everything required corrections. The initial spoken version of the exercise video was amusing at first when it was done by AI. The pronunciation was a bit odd since there are not that many voice models in Lithuanian. We found a very good one in the end.
Was there a lesson for you both during the process?
Aelita Bredelytė, Klaipeda University: It was nice to see how partners from small countries can support each other, and how much effort was put in the process. The Klaipeda University enjoyed the cooperation, having in mind that Lithuania is not a big market, but the Icura put a lot of effort into everything.
Sofia Tillitz Roth, Icura: Icura will make use of the experience of translating the product to Lithuanian. It was something new for us. We first decided to translate everything to English and then to Lithuanian to make the process smoother using AI. We were very pleased to learn that during our workshops, physiotherapists from Lithuania asked the same question regarding the use of our solution on patients as the Danish ones. It was interesting and reassuring to experience how physiotherapists across borders are interested in the exact same professional issues when it comes to implementing digital tools.
Does Klaipeda University see any other obstacles apart from the language barrier for the use of solutions like Icura?
Aelita Bredelytė, Klaipeda University: When we started recruiting patients, the first question was always about the language of the solution. All the patients were surprised that the solutions are ready to work in Lithuanian. It’s worth mentioning that all the parts of the solution are in Lithuanian, not only the names of the exercises. Both physios and patients gave us positive feedback about that. From what we’ve observed, even older generations are open to using digital solutions when available in their language.
We have acquired 20 sets of equipment, which are distributed to the patients. We already have 8 patients and are recruiting 2 new patients every week. Icura has translated the user manual to Lithuanian, and Klaipeda University has provided clear instructions for patients on how to use the solutions. The patients also have a contact number in case of problems with the equipment.
Are there any plans for „after the project”?
Aelita Bredelytė, Klaipeda University: Yes, we would like to use the digital solution from Icura after the project, also for students to learn and practice. More and more patients in Lithuania want to work with trainers/physiotherapists, also using online solutions. It’s now the only solution for digital rehab available in Lithuanian at the moment. We know that the process may be a bit challenging, since on the national level, online activities for therapists are not reimbursed. It´s a well-known barrier on the local and national level that payment mechanisms do not follow technological innovations, and decision makers need to be aware of this. Probably, the private sector will be the first one to use solutions like Icura, and the public one later. But patients can also have an active role in pushing the clinics for solutions like digital rehabilitation.
We have one PhD student right now doing research on the use of digital solutions, challenges to it, and expectations, as well as fears. After the trial is over, we will have recommendations, guidelines on how to communicate the effectiveness of digital solutions.
