VA Adding Physical Therapy Device To AI Roster

The Veterans Affairs Department plans to contract app developer JumpStart to build a platform that uses artificial intelligence and the user's own body to improve the physical therapy process. The app, called the AI Based Physical Therapy App, or AIPTA, will be designed to predict and mitigate repetitive stress-related injuries, according to a request for information posted to SAM.gov. The app will use an adaptive user interface to receive input from wearable devices that monitor various health diagnostics. The VA expressed enthusiasm with a particular vendor, JumpStart, and noted that it "was rated to have the highest AI-based physical therapy biofeedback and analytical capabilities as related to physical therapy and rehabilitation," during a tech sprint held by the agency's National Artificial Intelligence Institute from December to June. "VA has already vetted several other AI health applications but have not found any vendors with similar capabilities," the notice read.