The development of science and technology in the health sector is accelerating. Through the sixth pillar of health transformation, namely health technology transformation, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenkes RI) encourages health workers to innovate by utilising information technology and biotechnology. On the 60th National Health Day (HKN), the Ministry of Health gave appreciation to health workers who have successfully innovated in the Health Innovation Sprint Accelerator (HISA) 2024. This event aims to spur innovation in the health sector and strengthen Indonesia's health sector with technology.

One of the innovations that received an award at HISA 2024 was Fleksi. Fleksi is a technology-based media designed to improve the quality of human movement. This innovation not only serves as an effort to prevent chronic diseases, but also as a screening tool for various diseases and accelerate the recovery process of patients with skeletal muscle disorders. The Fleksi team won second place in HISA 2024.

This innovation was created by Ners students specialising in Medical Surgical Nursing from the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Indonesia (FoN UI), namely Ns. Muchamad Ardi Putrawardana, M.Kep, Ns. Anung Widianto, S.Kep, Ns. Wahadi, M.Kep, Ns. Fitri Susilowati, M.Kep, Ns. Vitta Margareth Philipus, M.Kep, Ns. Elviera Djuma, M.Kep, and Ns. Diky Julianto, S.Kep. This innovation also received support and guidance from Prof. Dr. Rr Tutik Sri Haryati, S.Kp., MARS, and Dr. Masfuri, S.Kp, MN.

Fleksi was born out of concern over the high rate of musculoskeletal disorders that many productive age groups experience due to physical inactivity. These complaints often hamper daily activities and cause nagging pain. In addition, another challenge in the rehabilitation process is the waiting time and pain that patients have to face. Fleksi is expected to overcome these obstacles by providing easy access to patients through artificial intelligence-based technology. Currently, Fleksi has reached the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) stage and is ready to enter the Market Fit Product Programme, which will be further validated by users.

With the award from HISA 2024, Fleksi is expected to synergise with the Ministry of Health in research and development to further optimise its benefits for the community. Fleksi uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can provide appropriate movement suggestions for healthy individuals, thus helping to prevent skeletal muscle disorders. For patients in rehabilitation, Fleksi offers a telehealth feature that allows remote training. Thus, patients can perform recovery exercises without having to be present at the hospital, which can speed up the recovery process.

‘Its use is very simple, just like using a camera on a smartphone,’ said Ns. Muchamad Ardi Putrawardana, Team Leader of Fleksi. With machine learning and computer vision technology, Fleksi is able to detect human body movements in real-time, enabling accurate evaluation of the quality of patient movement. ‘We hope that Fleksi can help health workers monitor and support patients‘ recovery more efficiently,’ he added.

The Dean of the UI Faculty of Nursing, Agus Setiawan, S.Kp., M.N., D.N., also gave his support to the success of the Fleksi team in this prestigious event. ‘We are very proud of the innovation shown by our students. Fleksi is proof that the synergy between nursing science and technology can create innovative solutions for public health needs. We hope that this innovation will continue to be developed and provide real benefits for many people,’ he said.

The award to the Fleksi Team was presented by the Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, SE, MA, Ph.D., at the 60th National Health Day celebration at the Jakarta Convention Center on 9 November 2024. Health Innovation Sprint Accelerator (HISA) is a programme that supports and develops health technology innovation to encourage the growth of the health technology industry in Indonesia. In addition to the award, HISA winners will also have the opportunity to participate in a health sandbox programme to test and develop digital health innovations.

Dr Tuti Herawati, S.Kp., M.N., Head of the Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing FoN UI, also gave her appreciation and hopes for this innovation. ‘Congratulations to the Flexion Team from the Ners Specialist Students of FoN UI for this proud achievement at the HISA 2024 event. Hopefully this innovation will continue to grow and its benefits can be felt by the wider community,’ he said.

Fleksi, as a technology-based health aid, has the potential to be utilised in various fields such as assessment, diagnostic support, and evaluation, especially for patients with mobility disorders. This innovation is also in line with the theme of the 60th National Health Day, ‘Move Together, Be Healthy Together,’ which invites people to collaborate in realising a healthy life together.

Ns. Muchamad Ardi Putrawardana, M.Kep, added, ‘We are very happy to be able to introduce this innovation of the nation's children in the health sector. We hope this innovation can be an inspiring example that modern technology can be applied in the nursing field to improve the quality of life of patients.’

With this award, the Faculty of Nursing of Universitas Indonesia demonstrates a strong commitment to developing innovations that benefit the community. The support of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the HISA programme, and synergies with various parties are expected to be a strong foundation to further advance the health sector in Indonesia through technology.

Author : Heru Nurinto
Editor : Public Relation FoN UI