iPROLEPSIS at IEEE HealthCom 2025: AI-Enabled Digital Health for Psoriatic Arthritis

The iPROLEPSIS team participated in the IEEE HealthCom 2025 Conference, held 21–23 October 2025 and hosted by Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event gathered international experts in digital health, artificial intelligence, and biomedical technologies to discuss how AI can improve the understanding and management of non-communicable diseases.

Modeling joint swelling through smartphone photographs

Giorgos Apostolidis from the Signal Processing & Biomedical Technology Unit – AUTH presented the paper “Modeling Interphalangeal Joints for Swelling Assessment in Psoriatic Arthritis via Smartphone Photographs”.

By analyzing smartphone photos of hands, the study showcased that a digital estimation of joint thickness, namely effective width, with the aid of a logistic regression model, can serve as an effective tool for detecting interphalangeal joint swelling in people with PsA.This approach was validated on a real-world dataset collected within the PDPID study.

Designing exergames for Psoriatic Arthritis care

Prof. Leontios Hadjileontiadis (AUTH) presented the paper “Designing Exergames for Psoriatic Arthritis: The Spy and Zen Forest Paradigms”.

The Spy and Zen Forest exergames were co-designed to complement PsA care by making therapeutic exercises more engaging and accessible at home. Using real-time body tracking on mobile devices, these games promote dynamic movement to enhance mobility and strength, and calm stretching for flexibility and relaxation.

Panel discussion: Digital Bridges for Better Health

Project Coordinator Prof. Leontios Hadjileontiadis, Scientific & Technical Manager Vasileios Charisis, and Stelios Hadjidimitriou from the Signal Processing & Biomedical Technology Unit – AUTH, together with Dr. Kosmas Dimitropoulos from the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) and Prof. Mohamed Seghier from Khalifa University, participated in the panel discussion “Digital Bridges for Better Health: AI Innovation from Europe to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA),” moderated by Giorgos Apostolidis.

The panel provided insights into: 

• The technical challenges in integrating AI with existing healthcare IT systems, 

• How key stakeholders can collaborate to ensure AI digital health tools are user-friendly and clinically relevant, 

• The role of patient engagement and digital literacy in the effectiveness of AI tools in chronic disease management

• How socio-cultural differences between Europe and MENA can influence the design and adoption of AI digital health solutions

• What are the key regulatory challenges in Europe and MENA regarding the use of AI in healthcare and what joint efforts can be undertaken to harmonize standards in these regions

During the session, the iPROLEPSIS project and its AI-enabled digital health tools for assisting Psoriatic Arthritis management and care were highlighted as a case study of AI solutions with potential to improve outcomes for people with non-communicable diseases.

Workshop chairing

Scientific & Technical Manager Vasileios Charisis from the Signal Processing & Biomedical Technology Unit-AUTH co-chaired the workshop "AI-enabled Digital Health Tools for Non-Communicable Diseases: From Concepts to Impact". The workshop was co-organised with the AI-PROGNOSIS Horizon Europe project and included research works in the fields of psoriatic arthritis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and post-stroke rehabilitation.

Two of the presented papers stem from research carried out within iPROLEPSIS:

• Apostolidis et al., Modeling Interphalangeal Joints for Swelling Assessment in Psoriatic Arthritis via Smartphone Photographs

• Ramalho et al., Designing exergames for psoriatic arthritis: The Spy and Zen Forest paradigms

  

  The iPROLEPSIS and AI-PROGNOSIS teams from AUTH participated jointly at IEEE HealthCom 2025, highlighting their shared commitment to advancing AI-enabled digital health solutions that enhance the understanding, early detection, and management of chronic diseases.