Kinect with Senior Citizens

I have been saying for over a year that Microsoft should put an Xbox with Kinect in every retirement home in the nation. I believe this would accomplish several things. First, it will sell Xbox units to the grandkids and their parents, which is good for Microsoft. Second, it will give the residents of the home a way to communicate with their family much more frequently. Now, we are seeing a third benefit that could be FAR more beneficial. Use the Kinect for health education and exercise.

In my earlier blog, I explained how to use technology to automate and manage patient outreach using some off the shelf tools. I omitted the Xbox and Kinect. Let me correct this scenario now.

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The Kinect enables activities that used to require a hand-held controller to be done simply by waving your arms, legs, and moving your body so the sensors detect changes. It uses multiple cameras and microphones and has proven to be highly accurate. Early Kinect games included martial arts, dancing, and interactive scenarios. Later Kinect-enabled applications include the ability for the operating room staff to page through policies and procedures using gestures without breaking the sterile field around the patient.

The Kinect works with an Xbox or a personal computer. In this mode, it has the ability to record time spent exercising as well as taking photos and videos. The Kinect works indoors but can simulate outdoor experiences. The overall cost of the Kinect hardware is low. The cost for games and personal trainers is also relatively low.

I imagine a scenario where a patient suffering from obesity will use the Kinect in several ways:

1. Sign up for a support group where others can encourage and, when needed, nag the patient to do their daily exercise.
2. Provide a fun, interesting, challenging exercise program that helps the patient lose weight.
3. Monitor drastic changes in range of movement, duration, stamina, and other relevant personal attributes and then notify the case manager if something starts trending the wrong way.
4. Provide rewards when targets are met.
5. All the while, transmitting this information to the patient’s personal health record to share with the care team.

The Kinect very well could be a key tool for Accountable Care Organizations. It is easy to use, low cost, and fun. This is a great way to connect (Kinect) with your patients.