Accenture plans to donate a virtual reality application to hospitals looking to support patients battling phantom limb pain, the management consulting firm said Oct. 2.
The application, which Accenture is currently testing at the Hospital das Clinicas in Brazil, uses a connected armband to help physical therapists track the electrical signals from amputee patients' muscles. Physical therapists then use those insights to help diagnose phantom limb pain more accurately. The armband connects to a dashboard, where patients can participate in virtual reality games during physical therapy sessions.
Initial findings from the tests suggest the connected armband and virtual reality application help physical therapists develop personalized care plans for patients, such as more accurately calibrating patients' prosthetics.
"Phantom limb pain is a chronic, physically and mentally debilitating condition for most patients after undergoing amputations," Candida Luzo, head of occupational therapy at the Hospital das Clinicas, said in a news release. "This will be an invaluable tool in our physical and occupational therapy programs."