The Motion Analysis Program at the University of the Philippines-Manila/Philippine General Hospital, Manila, Philippines. (back row, from left: Dr. Enrique Puentespina; Dr. Kenneth Zaragoza; Dr. Joycie Abiera; Dr. Jacob Rammer; patient’s father; patient’s mother; Jonas Bernabe, PT; front, seated: patient. Photo used with permission and release on file with Philippine General Hospital)
Dr. Jacob R. Rammer, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Advanced Mobility Biomechanics Laboratory at UW-Milwaukee, visited the University of the Philippines-Manila and Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) in January 2025 to support a recently formalized global health research and service partnership. The two universities have signed an agreement paving the way for long-term research collaboration to investigate the use of advanced mobility monitoring technology for better care of underserved children with disabilities across rural areas of the Philippines. The team of engineers, physicians, physical therapists, and research fellows successfully conducted a pilot study that pioneers this mobile health technology and continues to build its capacity in the country.
Comprehensive gait analysis identifies mobility deficits and allows for targeted therapies that can maximize rehabilitation outcomes and significantly affect patients’ quality of life. (left: Dr. Joycie Abiera and Dr. Jacob Rammer conduct a physical examination; right: Dr. Rammer places reflective markers and Knee Alignment Devices to identify key anatomical landmarks in movement tracking; Photos used with permission and release on file with Philippine General Hospital)
The Motion Analysis Program at UP-PGH is the first and only human motion analysis laboratory in the Philippines. Dr. Rammer has been supporting the laboratory for over 10 years, in which time over 3,000 children with disabilities have been evaluated to promote improved clinical outcomes. The departments of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Medicine at PGH utilize the laboratory for routine clinical care, medical training, and research projects.
New smartphone-based technology allows for comprehensive mobility and participation tracking that adds new insights to the existing methods used in the Motion Analysis Program at Philippine General Hospital (left: Dr. Jacob Rammer explains the results to the patient’s family; right: Dr. Rammer introduces a prototype smartphone app to collect data in real-world settings; Photos used with permission and release on file with Philippine General Hospital)
One of AMBL’s primary research objectives is to develop and evaluate technologies that can track rehabilitation progress outside the laboratory. The Philippines, being an archipelago of 7,641 islands, makes travel to Manila for medical care difficult and expensive for rural residents. It is expected that implementing this mobile health technology over the next five years will significantly improve clinicians’ ability to optimize long-term rehabilitation outcomes for children in underserved regions. The present pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and usability of the technology for implementation in the Philippines. Both labs will continue to partner in this research to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for children with disabilities.