By Sola Ogundipe

A novel health technology initiative is seeking to expand access to physiotherapy and rehabilitation services through a digital platform designed to connect patients in Nigeria with personalised recovery programmes and professional support.

The new platform, known as Open Doors Access (ODA) is the brainchild of US-based Nigerian public health and health informatics specialist, Moyo Sara-Daniels who noted that it is designed for patients and physiotherapists.

Speaking, Moyo said, “What inspired me to create this app was my experience growing up in Nigeria and later moving to the United States. I saw women struggling after childbirth, accident victims without rehabilitation plans, athletes recovering from injuries, and other people living with mobility challenges who had little or no access to physiotherapy services.

“People are often told to simply endure pain or learn to live with certain conditions, we want to make professional rehabilitation support more accessible,” she said.

According to Moyo, ODA enables users to enter information about their health condition and recovery goals before receiving a personalised physiotherapy programme generated through Artificial Intelligence.
“The platform has around 100 early users have already been onboarded as part of a controlled rollout designed to gather feedback and improve the service before wider deployment.

“We are starting with Nigeria because it is home, once we establish the model and demonstrate impact, there is potential to scale to other countries,” she said.

ODA is primarily web-based; users access it through a browser rather than downloading it from a traditional app store. Using a mobile phone and internet connection, patients can sign up, and receive a personalised recovery programme through www.opendoorsaccess.com, or through the app portal. Physiotherapists can also use the platform to support their patients remotely, allowing them to extend their reach beyond the clinic.

“We want to bridge the gap between patients who need physiotherapy and the professionals who provide it.

“The platform is completely free; accessibility was one of our key priorities during development. The goal is to give people practical support and a structured recovery plan that can help improve their quality of life,” Moyo remarked.