Amrita Hospital, Kochi Launches SWALLO App to Address Dysphagia Management

The app aims to support individuals of all ages dealing with swallowing disorders. SWALLO offers live interactive sessions with medical experts focusing on dysphagia management.

Amrita Hospital in Kochi has unveiled SWALLO mobile application, designed to assist individuals coping with dysphagia, a condition affecting the ability to swallow food and fluids.

The app aims to support individuals of all ages dealing with swallowing disorders. SWALLO offers live interactive sessions with medical experts focusing on dysphagia management.

The objective of the SWALLO app is to provide support and guidance to individuals battling dysphagia, according to the chairman of the Amrita Swallow Centre, Dr Subramania Iyer.

The app, available in Malayalam with English subtitles and eventually in other Indian languages, is designed to enhance the lives of those with dysphagia.

Commenting on the same, Dr Iyer said, "SWALLO comes at a crucial time, as Amrita Swallow Center has already provided support to over 3,000 dysphagia patients in 2023 alone."

The app facilitates remote monitoring by therapists, providing essential guidance for dysphagia management, particularly for patients with difficulties in making frequent hospital visits.

It offers personalised rehabilitation steps, enabling patients to follow exercises and receive live feedback on their smartphone, enhancing their quality of life.

Developed by a team from Amrita University, the user-friendly app was hailed by Dr Maneesha Vinodini Ramesh, provost, and director of AMRITA Center for Wireless Networks & Applications, for its potential to revolutionise dysphagia management.

In the same context, Dr Ramesh, provost and director of AMRITA, added, "Our interdisciplinary software and AI team have addressed the difficulties faced by patients, enabling remote exercise monitoring and guidance through the integrated AI system."

The app's official unveiling at the ongoing four-day international conference "Dysphagia 2023" at Amrita Hospital highlighted its role in providing easy access to therapeutic interventions for patients without daily hospital visits. In its initial phase, the SWALLO app will be accessible to Amrita Hospital patients, supporting their dysphagia management.

Amrita Hospital continues its journey in the healthcare sector, having previously deployed South Asia's first Healthcare Extended Reality Ecosystem. This move integrates augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies to enhance patient care, medical training, and research capabilities.