Technological innovation in healthcare is desperately needed to improve the quality of care and the well-being of residents and to make the social domain smarter and more affordable. The municipality of The Hague is actively committed to supporting promising healthcare innovations from start-ups. An example of such a start-up is Cue2Walk International. Floor Waardenburg, general manager of Cue2Walk International, shares how the Hague company has developed a smart solution for people with Parkinson's disease and the role that the municipality of The Hague has had in this.

Innovative solution for Parkinson's patients

More than half of people with Parkinson's disease experience gait disturbances such as freezing while walking, also known as freeze of gait. These symptoms can lead to falls, decreasing mobility and increasing dependence on others. To support people with Parkinson's in regaining control during a freeze, Cue2Walk International has developed a wearable device with motion sensors. This innovative tool provides a rhythmic signal, or a 'cue', to prevent or break a freeze. By focusing on these cues, patients can independently control or even break the freeze and thus regain the confidence to move.

Impact of Cue2Walk

The first ideas for the Cue2Walk were created in 2010 in close collaboration with practitioners, physiotherapists and patients from the Basalt rehabilitation center, and with The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Floor: 'Cueing is a scientifically proven compensation strategy to prevent freeze of gait. Thanks to thorough analyzes of patients' walking patterns, we have developed software that can recognize the need for a cue and then activate it using an algorithm.' Cue2Walk entered the market in 2022 and the results are convincing. A user study from that year shows, among other things, that more than 80% users had a shorter freeze-of-gait duration and that 75% experienced a decrease in falls.

Restoring confidence and mobility

Floor emphasizes: 'A large number of our users have been living with Parkinson's disease for 10 to 15 years. These people experience several moments of freeze of gait every day, which has a significant impact on their quality of life. People sometimes no longer dare to leave the house and become largely dependent on others. It touches me time and time again when a user shares his or her experience that the device has given them back the confidence to undertake activities independently again. Every patient we can help gives us enormous satisfaction and contributes positively to the quality of life they experience.'

Innovative steps: from personal adjustment to remote care

Cue2Walk International employees currently visit all their customers personally to accurately tailor the device to each individual's movement pattern and behavior. To reach an even larger number of people with Parkinson's, the company is working on a supporting app. 'Thanks to our experience, we now have the knowledge to fully remotely personalize the device for their specific gait disturbance in just 10 seconds. Moreover, we have developed a method to guide users with the same level of care and quality during the implementation, as is currently happening, without the intervention of our implementation specialist being necessary," says Floor.

The launch of the app is planned for early 2024. Floor: 'The introduction of our app also opens up new opportunities to expand our services with an e-health solution. We continue to develop the tool to further support people with Parkinson's in adopting a more active lifestyle, monitored by their trusted practitioner remotely where possible and on location where necessary.'

Municipality of The Hague as a catalyst for innovation

Floor praises the involvement of the municipality of The Hague. 'There is a lot involved in bringing a product to market. Many companies fail because they are unable to gather evidence or because they cannot obtain financing. What I like about the municipality of The Hague is their active commitment to start-ups. The municipality not only connects different parties and end users with each other through network meetings and acceleration programs, but also helps to accelerate processes by entering into partnerships and by facilitating pilot studies. This has helped us understand the social domain, build a strong network with both local and national stakeholders and gain insight into the complex regulations and financing of healthcare technology.'

Future-oriented

With a strong look at the future, Cue2Walk International will start a large-scale study into fall and fracture prevention this year in collaboration with the municipality and other partners in the chain. The goal is to identify effective ways in which technology can be used in all facets to reduce falls and thus increase people's self-reliance.

Floor shares his vision: 'Our ambition is that every person in the Netherlands with Parkinson's who is dealing with freezing will have access to the Cue2Walk within a year and a half. And preferably financed by their health insurer.' However, the ambitions of Cue2Walk International also extend far beyond the Dutch borders. In the first quarter of the coming year, the company will take its first steps with a pilot in Germany, making the Cue2walk also available outside the Netherlands. Floor: 'Together with our network of people with Parkinson's disease, medical specialists, researchers and governments, we continue to work on the further development and innovation of Cue2Walk. Our goal is to support as many people with Parkinson's as possible in maintaining the highest possible quality of life and an active lifestyle.'

The Cue2Walk will soon be on display in the iZi experience home and can be borrowed via the Technology for Home lending points. Keep an eye on our channels.