About our project
The Problem We Solve
Computers have so much to offer a person recovering from a traumatic brain injury [TBI]. Over two hundred thousand war veterans and many more thousands of civilians suffer from TBI. There has to be a better way to connect with friends and family, listen to music, and to look at old photographs.
As they recover, using a computer as they once did before their injury occurred is too complex. Loss of memory makes it more difficult; controlling a user interface like MS Windows is a challenge. TBI Refocus offers a single portal and motivating material to help TBI patients on the road to their recovery.
The TBI Refocus Solution
TBI Refocus is designed with the therapist in mind! Over 100 assigned exercises can be downloaded through a pending agreement with their publisher. Scoring is automatic, and resultant scores and the client’s activity with components of the program can be read over the internet as a password protected, HIPPA compliant progress report. Family or therapist can send messages to the program screen by he same link.
The TBI Refocus program is designed especially for the client recovering at home, where the need is greatest. The system would also be useful in a rehab facility, facilitating unsupervised computer use.
Without the assistance of a computer professional, the program supports downloaded exercises, customized downloads for sports, hobbies, school, caregivers and work or military service experience. There is an on line progress report system for the therapist. Since music interest, memory and ability often survives debilitating brain injury we have included ways to play downloaded music and for the unique, talented survivor, to compose and play music at a professional level.
The music program was written for us by a MIDI music programmer in Berlin, Germany. It uses an on-screen computer drum set, a piano keyboard with many instrument voices and a Piano Roll sequencer that supports 16 voice composition, one note at a time, if necessary. Downloaded prerecorded music is easily selected and played. A child’s simple xylophone is emulated as a motivating starting place.
Downloaded prerecorded music is easily selected and played. The program is compatible with all the assistive input methods used by persons with limited physical movement or dexterity. (my healthy 15 year old grandson quickly learned hands-free drumming, using the image of his nose with Camera Mouse). Our model program works on an Android 10.5 in touchscreen pad.
Input FromYour Clinic Is Needed
As we near completion of the work on TBIRefocus we need your input on ease of use and real-life applications in your clinical setting. Please assist our effort and give us your input.
How TBI Refocus Works
Exercises assigned by the therapist are represented on the home page. When completed, scores and time on task is available to the therapist as code accessible data over the internet. For the client recovering at home this capability provides contact and progress documentation.
TBI Refocus Home Screen
The music program was written for us by a MIDI music programmer in Berlin, Germany. It uses an on-screen computer drum set, a piano keyboard with many instrument voices and a Piano Roll sequencer that supports 16 voice composition, one note at a time, if necessary. Downloaded prerecorded music is easily selected and played. A child’s simple xylophone is emulated as a motivating starting place.
The MIDI Interface
A TBI Refocus Exercice
The simplified navigation so essential for the TBI Refocus client also makes the Cope-Ability version of the program very user friendly for persons with other cognitive or physical disabilities. The program is compatible with all the assistive input methods used by persons with limited physical movement or dexterity. (my healthy 15 year old grandson quickly learned hands-free drumming, using the image of his nose with CameraMouse). Our model program has proven functional on an Android 10.5 in touchscreen pad. The full size Telikin simplified touchscreen computer would be a good match for our program.
Clinical Proof to date.
Because our working model program requires supervised coaching and is not ready for client use, we limited trials to a group of well motivated Occupational Therapy students at University of New Hampshire. Their written responses to our post-trial questionnaire have helped us modify the program.
FDA Status Currently
We hope to present TBI Refocus (or the Cope-Ability format) as a simplified navigation program for seniors, disabled persons and those with cognitive difficulties, not as therapeutic.
How We Help Patients
We offer simplified computer navigation, computer use facilitated for those who lack intuition – or lack memory for codes and routines.
How We Therapists
The on-line availability of “progress reports” recording all client activity with the computer and scores on exercises you have assigned gives contact with a client living at home. The possibility of a client anywhere using a computer without continuous supervision, training, or coaching is a very useful feature. You could put your own dollar value on spared office visits or exercise supervision time, and our program includes motivating material for many clients.
How We Help Hospitals, Institutions, and/ or Medical Facilities
We would like to establish a mutually beneficial arrangement. You support us now and we supply our Beta program for your use, expecting feedback from your therapists and users that will help us tailor TBI Refocus to your clients needs.
How We Will Use Your Contributions
We need to do final programming (which costs money) to bring our working model to the “ease of use” standard we have set for TBI Refocus / Cope-Ability. Our program should to be working on the computers of those who need it. Pass our link on to your friends and colleagues who can understand the need.
Who We Are
John R. Feick, President, TBI Refocus
Email me
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Pass it forward!
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Have a question?
If the info above does not help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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