Formsense, a Leading Smart Apparel Company, Is Part of a Task Force Led by the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, to Study the Role of mHealth Technology in Mitigating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Formsense, a leading smart apparel company, has taken on the unusual role as part of an expert task force working together with Mass General Brigham Health System and its Spaulding Rehabilitation Network to publish a study on the role of mHealth in the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcome of the task force is a published study entitled "Can mHealth Technology Help Mitigate the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic?" in the newest issue of IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology.

The study aimed to review mobile health (mHealth) technologies and explore their use to monitor and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force identified existing and forward-looking technologies including smart apparel that could be deployed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and would likely be suitable for future pandemics.

Formsense CEO and founder, Nathan Ramasarma and board member, Ali Hashemi, a healthcare expert and founder of Polymath Ventures, participated in the task force formed by Paolo Bonato, Ph.D., Director of the Spaulding Motion Analysis Lab, who was the lead author on the study. Formsense has been working with Dr. Bonato's lab and its university partners since 2016 to apply its wearable sensors and markerless motion analysis algorithms to aid in the monitoring and rehabilitation of stroke patients in an ambulatory setting. As part of this COVID-19 task force, Formsense was able to lend its expertise on motion analysis, wearable sensors, and its integration with smart apparel.

"Working on this task force and being able to apply our technology and insights to further the quality of our response to pandemics like COVID-19 has allowed Formsense to cement its leadership as the next generation of connected but untethered health and fitness platforms," said Nathan Ramasarma. "It's not often that a startup gets invited to participate in such efforts alongside world-class organizations that have the potential to transform the lives of millions."

Dr. Bonato further explains the relevance of wearable tracking technologies: "The better data and tracking we can collect using mHealth technologies can help public health experts understand the scope and spread of this virus and most importantly hopefully help more people get the care they need earlier. Our hope is to build on more studies from here and continue to expand our understanding."

What is mHealth?

Telehealth usage and mobile health technologies, commonly called mHealth, has gained the attention of the public at large. While telehealth has allowed patients to stay connected for ongoing appointments and check-ins, wearable mHealth technologies provide a significant opportunity for data collection, and mHealth technology can be used to monitor patients with mild symptoms who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Individuals can visit https://spauldingrehab.org/research/programs-labs/motion-analysis to learn more about the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Formsense

San Diego based Formsense is a leading-edge developer of wearable sensor technologies and smart apparel that objectively measures, tracks, and interprets human performance across health, fitness, and sport. Formsense technology makes it possible to deliver a full-range of biomechanical insights before, during or after any physical activity. This unique ability to provide a volumetric assessment of functional and dynamic form real-time without the need for cameras or other tethered setups, elevates performance, accelerates recovery, and helps prevent injuries for everyone across life's pursuits. For more information, visit www.formsense.com.