Do you want to provide more advanced physiotherapy for rehabilitation patients but lack the budget? In fact, the Hong Kong government has a funding scheme that can fully subsidize social welfare organizations to use the latest technology for “free” (the application deadline will close on July 13, 2026 (Monday) at 5:00 PM) to improve the cost-effectiveness of treatments.
This article will help you understand the application details of this fund and introduce how to use FlexMSK for free through the subsidy—an AI remote rehabilitation system that requires no extra hardware and runs on a standard smartphone. It significantly reduces the cost of rehabilitation services while effectively relieving pain for patients.
1. How FlexMSK Empowers Rehabilitation Services
Introducing FlexMSK is not just about buying a piece of software; it brings a significant upgrade to your rehabilitation services. Here are the three core benefits of FlexMSK:
I. Enhancing Therapist Efficiency
Traditional physiotherapy is limited by the manpower and time of therapists. FlexMSK allows rehabilitation patients to practice prescribed exercises at home while the system monitors their movements in real-time, acting like a physical therapist supervising in person. Consequently, therapists can save more time to handle new cases or focus their energy on complex situations, allocating resources more effectively.
II. Improving Rehabilitation Engagement and Motivation
Rehabilitation is a long and monotonous process. FlexMSK provides real-time feedback and guidance so that patients clearly know whether they are doing it “correctly,” even at home. This “instant interaction” significantly boosts patients’ motivation to practice, reducing cases where they prematurely discontinue treatment due to boredom or uncertainty.
Furthermore, once FlexMSK is installed on a smartphone, patients can practice at home on their own, eliminating the need for frequent follow-up appointments, avoiding traveling fatigue, and reducing the risk of secondary injuries.
III. Data-Driven Clinical Decision Making
Under the traditional rehabilitation model, therapists cannot monitor the quality of a patient’s home practice, making it difficult to estimate recovery progress. Conversely, FlexMSK automatically records exercise data—including Range of Motion (ROM) and completion rates—and immediately generates detailed reports uploaded for the therapist.
Therapists can review these reports remotely and adjust treatment plans at any time based on objective data, without requiring the patient to visit the clinic in person. Patients also immediately receive prescribed exercises tailored to their recovery phase, which helps accelerate the overall rehabilitation speed.
2. FlexMSK’s AI Engine
While “AI” or “remote rehabilitation” might sound distant and complex, FlexMSK was designed from the ground up to be “user-friendly.” The goal is to provide more musculoskeletal (MSK) patients with treatment opportunities to relieve pain as quickly as possible. FlexMSK combines professional capabilities with ease of use:
I. No Wearable Devices Required
Unlike other rehab tools on the market that require wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, FlexMSK features a patented skeletal sensor (Patent HK30105427). By simply using the built-in camera of the patient’s smartphone, the AI system automatically captures the body’s 3D skeleton and precisely measures joint angles. Patients do not need to buy any extra accessories, drastically lowering hardware maintenance costs and avoiding the hassle of putting on sensors.
II. Built-in “AI Physiotherapist”
Behind FlexMSK is a rigorously trained AI engine that doesn’t just watch movements—it understands the key elements of prescribed exercises and prompts the patient when necessary.
When patients perform their exercises, the phone screen simultaneously displays their own movements alongside a demonstration video. Whenever the system detects an error, it issues immediate real-time prompts, acting just like a physical therapist assisting by their side.
III. Personalized Exercise Prescriptions
We understand that every patient has different needs. When prescribing exercises, therapists can choose from our extensive exercise library or design unique movements for individual patients. They simply use FlexMSK to film a demonstration and upload it; the system automatically analyzes the movement and sends it directly to the patient as a personalized exercise prescription.
3. Proven Clinical Efficacy
Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR)
According to a randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) in 2026, FlexMSK’s AI-assisted remote rehabilitation has been scientifically proven to deliver superior clinical efficacy compared to traditional exercise methods. This study, centered on hypertension patients, showed the following results after an 8-week treatment course using FlexMSK:
✅ Significant Improvement in Exercise Capacity
The intervention group achieved a significantly higher increase in their 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) compared to the control group, with an adjusted mean difference of 62.77 meters (P=.002).
✅ Enhanced Blood Pressure Control
Participants saw a notable systolic blood pressure reduction, outperforming the control group by an adjusted mean difference of 4.11 mmHg (P=.046).
✅ Increased Physical Activity & Self-Efficacy
Users recorded a total exercise time increase of 98.24 minutes (P=.001) and an improved exercise self-efficacy score of 21.71 (P<.001) over conventional exercise rehabilitation.
✅ Boosted Physical Fitness
FlexMSK delivered significant improvements in peak oxygen uptake (Peak VO2), with an adjusted mean difference of 3.39 mL/kg/min (P=.026) compared to the control group.
Adopted by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority
Our FlexMSK AI software has taken the lead by being adopted at North District Hospital under the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. It serves physiotherapy patients with advanced real-time monitoring technology and data-driven rehabilitation protocols, comprehensively optimizing recovery outcomes.
Extended reading：FlexMSK in North District Hospital
4. 【Application Guide】Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care
This fund was established by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to promote technology adoption. It aims to enhance subsidies for eligible elderly and rehabilitation service units to procure, rent or trial technology products, as well as to expand the scope of the I&T Fund to cover technology products suitable for household use.
Official Website：https://www.swd.gov.hk/
Application Eligibility
- All service units from NGOs and private organisations receiving subsidies from SWD and providing residential care services for elderly and persons with disabilities, community care and support services for the elderly or day rehabilitation and community support services for persons with disabilities (PWDs) are eligible to make application.
. - The application for procurement and rental of technology products has been extended to all non-subsidised private and self-financing residential care homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities from Tranche 8 launched in September 2022 onwards.
Funding Scope & Category
FlexMSK falls under “Category 23: Smart Systems” as a “Remote Technology Platform” (Item 23.3). Eligible social welfare organizations can apply to directly purchase the FlexMSK system and corresponding licenses. Past experience indicates that applications passing the vetting process can receive full funding.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
When introducing new technologies, management and frontline staff at social welfare organizations often have the following questions:
Question 1: Can the elderly understand how to use this high-tech solution?
Answer: The user interface of FlexMSK is tailor-made for seniors; they can use it immediately after logging in. Because no wearable devices are required, seniors only need to stand in front of their phone camera to start practicing. Research indicates that this visual feedback system engages seniors much better than traditional paper exercise sheets.
Question 2: How do we integrate FlexMSK into our existing clinical workflow?
Answer: It is very straightforward. Once you complete the diagnosis during a face-to-face patient consultation, you can demonstrate the prescribed exercises and record them as a video. Alternatively, you can select appropriate exercises directly from our library. Then, simply assign these movements to the patient and specify the required frequency and repetitions.
Question 3: Can AI really compare to a human therapist?
Answer: The role of AI is to “assist” therapists by providing exercise guidance and recording precise metrics. This frees up therapists’ time to manage more new cases and prescribe exercises closely aligned with recovery progress, reducing traditional follow-up visit times. Research data shows that remote rehabilitation combined with AI delivers even more significant clinical efficacy for conditions like chronic lower back pain compared to face-to-face therapy, proving highly cost-effective.
6. Other FAQ
Q1: What is the procedure for applying for the funding?
Answer: The process involves filling out an application form, submitting a technical proposal, and providing quotation records. The RaphAI team will fully assist eligible organizations throughout the process to ensure a smooth application submission.
Q2: Aside from hypertension patients, in what other scenarios can FlexMSK be applied?
Answer: FlexMSK can be applied to a wide range of patients. For instance, it can assist with post-operative rehab for joints, bones, and soft tissue injuries; long-term rehabilitation training for chronic musculoskeletal disorders; and even enhancing the daily mobility of seniors—including improving balance, gait performance, and functional independence.
Q3: Does the system require a strong network connection?
Answer: FlexMSK runs smoothly even over standard home Wi-Fi or 4G/5G mobile networks.
7. Successful Application Case Study
Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, as one of Hong Kong’s leading social service organizations, recognized the emerging trend of remote rehabilitation early last year.
They applied to the “Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care” and successfully secured full funding to implement FlexMSK for free. In practice, Lutheran Social Service’s physical therapy team utilizes FlexMSK to provide remote rehab services to seniors in the community. Seniors no longer feel lonely while practicing, and physical therapists have freed up time to take on more new cases, significantly shortening waiting times for patients.
8. Action Guide: Contact Us Now
Seize this opportunity to utilize government resources, adopt cutting-edge technology, and maximize your overall therapeutic efficiency.
