Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology最新文献

Objective: The design of at-home stroke rehabilitation robots must be closely linked to the needs of users, especially stroke survivors and therapists, to ensure that such designs are effective in the home environment, which is less controlled than clinical environments. Translating user needs into the technical descriptors of a design is essential to this design process. This paper analyses user needs identified from interviews with stroke survivors and therapists in previous work.

Methods: The relationship between user needs and the broad technical properties of rehabilitation robot design are related using the House of Quality, an approach from Quality Function Deployment. Technical benchmarks are identified from previous rehabilitation robot designs and technical priorities are determined from the House of Quality. An at-home upper limb stroke rehabilitation robot concept for supporting therapy activities in a vertical planar workspace is described and evaluated using the identified technical priorities.

Impact: The proposed design, a constrained cable robot, is determined to be appropriate for the desired application based on the technical priorities from the House of Quality.

Purpose: To explore parental perceptions and experiences at three timepoints [baseline (T0), post-intervention period 1 (T1), and post-intervention period 2 (T2)] across a 16-week study involving their children's use of two power mobility (PM) devices: an Explorer Mini (EM) and a modified ride-on car (mROC).

Materials and methods: Data for this phenomenological qualitative study were gathered as part of a multi-site randomized, counterbalanced AB crossover clinical trial, wherein all child participants used PM device A (EM) and PM device B (mROC) for eight weeks each. Trained researchers conducted in-person, audio-recorded semi-structured parental interviews at T0, T1, and T2. Data from each timepoint were individually analysed using the constant comparative method.

Results: Twenty-four child-parent participant dyads partook in the larger clinical trial. The parent participant within each dyad completed three qualitative interviews (one per timepoint), resulting in a total of 72 interviews (24 at each timepoint). At each timepoint, unique themes representing the parent participants' journey across the study emerged. Main themes were: T0 - "Anticipation", "Adjustment", and "Recognizing Strengths"; T1 - "Benefits and Barriers", "Expectations", and "Importance of Device Trials"; T2 - "One Size Doesn't Fit All, But All Are Worth Trying", "Environmental Affordances Enable Learning", and "Enabling Abilities and Participation".

Conclusion: This study provides insights into how parental perceptions about power mobility may shift over time, thereby assisting clinicians in implementing ON Time Mobility. The study further highlights how PM use can positively impact socialization and participation and how PM use may provide children with a mobile learning environment.

Purpose: 3D printing enables the production of customizable, cost-effective, and reproducible items, making it a promising approach for manufacturing assistive devices. This study aims to develop customized 3D-printed assistive devices using 3D blocks.

Methods: A 3D scanner was used to scan the limbs and trunks where the devices would be worn. The study utilized 3D blocks capable of undergoing subdivision surfaces to match the scanned external appearance of limbs and trunks. The mass-spring model and Gauss-Newton method were applied to optimize the subdivision surfaces, ensuring a better fit for users' hand shapes. Additionally, 3D blocks were used as design units for blending-based morphing, generating diverse 3D patterns.

Results: The proposed approach successfully enabled real-time manufacturing of customized external appearances for assistive devices. The resulting designs met usability, functionality, and aesthetic requirements. Usability testing, conducted using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology, demonstrated high satisfaction scores, confirming the effectiveness of 3D blocks in customizing assistive devices.

Conclusions: By integrating 3D scanning and printing technologies, this study highlights the feasibility of using reverse engineering to develop personalized assistive devices. The findings suggest that the proposed method enhances user satisfaction and provides a practical approach to assistive device customization.

Introduction: Electronics are crucial to the operation and utility of power wheelchairs (PWCs). Existing research falls short in understanding electronics lifespan, which should inform proper maintenance and funding.

Purpose: This study investigates the lifespan of PWC electronics, aiming to estimate time until repair or replacement and identify contributing factors to variability in lifespan.

Methods: Retrospective data from 1268 group 2 PWCs, collected from the Wheelchair Repair Registry, were analysed using Kaplan-Meier's survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Results indicate that 29.2% of PWCs experienced electronics-related repairs, with a median survival of 32.2 months. Significant predictors of reduced electronics survival included device type (group 3 hazard ratio (HR), 1.58; p = .003), distribution year in 2017 (HR, 1.82; p < .001) and distribution year in 2018 (HR, 4.08; p < .001). Manufacturer D was a marginally significant factor in reduced survival (HR, 1.66, p = .070).

Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of proper maintenance and design in enhancing PWC reliability and user quality of life. Future research should expand data inclusivity and consider broader implications for global PWC users.

Aim: Investigate the experiences, challenges, and difficulties faced by people with Parkinson's disease (PD) when using standard cutlery during meals and explore their preferences for features in assistive cutlery.

Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods, narrative, and descriptive approach using phenomenological methodology. Data were collected in two phases: Phase 1 focused on understanding participants' experiences and difficulties through phone or video interviews, while Phase 2 involved home visits to evaluate their preferences for cutlery features. Structured interviews with open- and closed-ended questions were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Analyst triangulation was employed to ensure reliability.

Results: Phase one included 41 participants, while phase two included 15. Most participants reported difficulties using standard cutlery, citing challenges such as spills and reduced grip stability. Despite these difficulties, few had prior experience with assistive devices. Barriers to using adaptive cutlery included lack of awareness, limited access, cost, and concerns about its appearance. Some participants reported feeling embarrassed, which led them to avoid dining with others. Suggestions for improving regular cutlery focused on increasing the depth of forks and spoons to minimize spills. Most participants expressed a preference for cutlery with textured handles, deeper bowls, and medium size and weight.

Conclusion: People with PD experience difficulties using regular cutlery, and few are aware of or use assistive devices. Participants expressed a desire for improvements in cutlery design that could improve their dining experience. Textured handles, medium size and weight, and deeper bowls were the most popular preferences among participants.These design improvements have the potential to enhance the dining experience and promote greater social participation among individuals with PD.

Purpose: Older adults with a cognitive impairment may be challenged by the demands associated with technology systems used to support everyday activities. We investigated technology attitudes, proficiency, and usage across the domains of health, social, transportation, leisure, and domestic activities among older adults with mild cognitive impairment, traumatic brain injury, and post-stroke cognitive impairment. We examined whether age, gender, health, cognition, or technology attitudes (comfort, interest, efficacy) predicted technology proficiency and usage patterns. All variables were measured with validated questionnaires.

Materials and methods: Participants (N = 163, age range 60-93) were part of the Everyday Needs Assessment for Cognitive Tasks (ENACT) study.

Results: The participants were largely proficient in using technologies and had generally positive attitudes toward technology. Usage patterns varied across domains, with participants most engaged in technology uses to support social and domestic activities, followed by health activities. Technology was used least frequently to support transportation and leisure activities. Findings highlighted the complex interplay of demographic factors, cognition, and attitudes towards technologies in shaping older adults with cognitive impairments' adoption and use of technology across the various domains. Older age was associated with lower technology use, whereas positive attitudes towards technology (interest, comfort, and efficacy) were associated with higher use. Gender differences were evident in social, domestic, and leisure technology domains.

Conclusion: These findings underscore that older adults with a cognitive impairment can use and are receptive towards technology. The findings provide valuable insights for tailoring interventions to meet the needs and preferences of older adults with a cognitive impairment.

Purpose: The aim of this literature review was to identify and summarize aspects of the usability of rollators from the currently available research literature. Further objectives were the exploration of rollator requirements and the search for possible disciplinary differences in the consideration or elaboration of usability aspects.

Materials and Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, the databases CINAHL, Pubmed and Academic Search Elite were examined in the period from April - May 2023. For the synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data and the identification of prominent themes in this work, a theory driven thematic analysis approach was used.

Results: A total of 45 publications were included (25 quantitative, 14 mixed methods, 6 qualitative) from various disciplines, the majority belonging to physiotherapy 42%, followed by engineering 16% and health sciences 16%. Aspects of usability were extracted using a deductive code catalogue based on QUEST 2.0. The categories "easy to use" (28/126), "comfort" (20/126), and "safety" (14/126) were most frequently assigned. While "repairs & servicing" (5/126), "service delivery" (4/126), and "durability" (3/126) were coded least frequently.

Conclusion: So far, no specific publications on the usability of rollators has been published, which made it necessary to summarize individual usability aspects using a deductive code catalogue. The results obtained, therefore, do not allow any generalized statement about the usability of rollators. However, this initiates discussions about the usability of rollators that should be studied in the future in a participatory and user-centred manner and, placing satisfaction more in the focus of usability engineering and evaluation of rollators.

Objective: A systematic review of 30 full-text articles was conducted on user acceptance of technologies that assist people who have functional difficulties (FD) with activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility. Our objective was to better understand the adoption of mobility assistive products (mobAP) among people with FD.

Methods: A literature search in EBSCO, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science yielded 423 articles. Ultimately, thirty articles met our inclusion criteria.

Results: Four overarching themes were identified using a thematic analysis approach. The themes were Empowerment Through the Use of Mobility Assistive Products, Incorporating User-Centered Design, Understanding the Challenges Users Encounter, and Improvements to Research Design. These themes highlight trends across studies that indicate that mobility assistive products have the potential to improve the well-being of people with FD. Still, significant efforts need to be made to improve the training with these devices. Moreover, researchers, healthcare providers, and designers should carefully consider the environmental, social, and facilitating conditions that moderate acceptance of these products.

Conclusion: This work advocates for more inclusive research design methodologies based on the limitations of the included studies. Ultimately, this review highlights the importance of understanding mobility assistive product acceptance among people with FD. By synthesizing the literature and identifying knowledge gaps, this review informs evidence-based decision-making for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and designers to develop user-centered healthcare assistive products, training, and assessments.

Robot-assisted physical rehabilitation offers promising benefits for patients, yet its adoption among therapists remains a complex challenge. This study investigates the acceptance of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation technology among therapists in Vietnam, a middle-income country with a growing demand for rehabilitation services. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), an online survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore therapists' attitudes and intentions towards using this technology. The results show that Vietnamese therapists recognised its potential benefits and expressed a willingness to use it. Although having similar acceptance patterns compared to developed regions, they demonstrated significantly higher levels of agreement across acceptance constructs. This may be attributed to factors such as the novelty effect, cultural perceptions of robots, and the high workload of therapists in Vietnam. Gender and location were found to influence two acceptance constructs-subjective norms and image, respectively-highlighting the need for tailored strategies in technology implementation. The study underscores the importance of considering socio-cultural factors in the adoption of technology and provides insights for enhancing the acceptance and effectiveness of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation in Vietnam. This contributes to the global understanding of therapist acceptance of technology in this field.