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Turning Cystic Fibrosis therapy into play

Shared by Gemma Tria on 2025-01-30 10:24

About the solution

When Will Jackson's daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at just 18 months old, their family was thrown into a daily routine of complex treatments. By age nine, she faced over 180 therapy blows and more than 40 pills every day. The burden was immense, not just for her but for the entire household. Physiotherapy sessions became a battleground—stressful, exhausting, and met with resistance. One morning, after yet another argument, Will had enough. There had to be a better way.

Drawing from his background in innovation and digital product design, he set out to transform the experience. He saw that thousands of families were struggling with the same issue—millions of stressful hours spent trying to enforce treatment. His goal was clear: make therapy engaging and effective, not a daily struggle.

The breakthrough came when he developed a prototype that turned traditional CF therapy devices into interactive game controllers. His daughter, the first test subject, instantly responded. Gamification changed everything. What was once a dreaded chore became an engaging activity. Seeing this impact, Will presented his concept to a local CF team and the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, who immediately recognized its potential. They insisted he make it available to others. And so, Playphysio was born.

Playphysio turns routine respiratory therapy into an interactive and engaging experience through gamification. The system includes an electronic monitor, the ‘physioPal,’ which connects wirelessly to a mobile app featuring a range of fun, interactive games. Patients use their existing OPEP (Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure) devices, which are essential for their therapy, but instead of performing dull, repetitive exercises, they now control video games by blowing into their devices. This real-time interaction provides instant feedback, motivation, and a sense of achievement. The app also features leaderboards, performance tracking, and even the ability for clinicians to monitor progress remotely through an online dashboard. With this system, Playphysio makes therapy more enjoyable, increases adherence, and reduces the stress that families experience in managing treatment.

By transforming respiratory physiotherapy into an interactive experience, Playphysio encourages better technique, improves adherence, and reduces stress for both children and parents. It even includes leaderboards and rewards to keep players motivated. The response has been so positive that limits had to be set—kids were eager to keep playing even after therapy was complete.

With an eye on the future, Playphysio is expanding beyond CF. The vision is to adapt the platform for other chronic conditions, ensuring that therapy doesn’t feel like a burden, but a game worth playing.

Adapted from:
https://nhscep.com/2024/06/05/our-patients-will-jackson/

For more information visit:
https://play.physio/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Gn9Yp_YVo

This solution shall not include mention to the use of drugs, chemicals or biologicals (including food); invasive devices; offensive, commercial or inherently dangerous content. This solution was not medically validated. Proceed with caution! If you have any doubts, please consult with a health professional.

DISCLAIMER: This story was written by someone who is not the author of the solution, therefore please be advised that, although it was written with the utmost respect for the innovation and the innovator, there can be some incorrect statements. If you find any errors please contact the patient Innovation team via info@patient-innovation.com

About the author

Will Jackson is the founder and CEO of Playphysio, but more importantly, he is a father determined to make life better for children with chronic illnesses. Faced with the overwhelming burden of CF treatments for his own daughter, he used his expertise in product design to find a solution. What started as a personal project to ease his family’s struggles evolved into a social venture dedicated to improving adherence to therapy through play. Today, Playphysio is helping families worldwide turn treatment time into a time of engagement, motivation, and better health outcomes.

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