Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology最新文献

{"title":"Provision and use of assistive products in patients after stroke and spinal cord injury in Germany: a qualitative interview study.","authors":"Tiziana Daniel, Tamara Spingler, Andreas Hug, Rüdiger Rupp, Norbert Weidner, Michel Wensing, Charlotte Ullrich","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2348069","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2348069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Mobility impairments are a common consequence of stroke and spinal cord injury (SCI). Assistive products (APs) such as wheelchairs are often needed for activities and participation. The aim of the study was to explore the provision and use of APs in Germany and to identify associated factors underlying this practice.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 professionals from outpatient neurorehabilitation services (three general practitioners, five physical therapists, five occupational therapists, one speech therapist, one neuropsychologist, two outpatient nurses, one rehab technician and one social worker), two patient advocates (long-term survivors, each stroke and SCI) and 20 patients (10 each after stroke and SCI with mobility impairment, and first-ever affected). Analysis was performed by qualitative content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Reported experiences were mixed, varying from high satisfaction to unusable APs and unmet needs. Identified factors associated with these experiences were related to care pathways, care coordination, inter-professional collaboration, professionals' knowledge and patient information, cost coverage, and approval procedures.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, patients seem satisfied with the APs they receive, but patients with more severe mobility impairments in particular experience deficits in the provision and use of APs. Further research is needed to develop and test strategies for the provision and use of APs.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"3079-3088"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140860864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Speech-to-text intervention to support text production among students with writing difficulties: a single-case study in nordic countries.","authors":"Gunilla Almgren Bäck, Margunn Mossige, Helle Bundgaard Svendsen, Vibeke Rønneberg, Heidi Selenius, Nina Berg Gøttsche, Grete Dolmer, Linda Fälth, Staffan Nilsson, Idor Svensson","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2351488","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2351488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studies report that speech-to-text applications (STT) may support students with writing difficulties in text production. However, existing research is sparse, shows mixed results, and lacks information on STT interventions and their applicability in schools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether a systematic and intensive assistive technology intervention focusing on STT can improve text production. A modified multiple-baseline across-subject design was used involving eight middle school students, four Norwegian and four Swedish. Their STT-produced narrative texts were collected during and after the intervention and the productivity, accuracy, and text quality were analysed. Keyboarding was the baseline control condition. The results demonstrated that seven of the eight students increased text productivity and that the proportion of word-level accuracy was maintained or improved. The use of punctuation progressed in participants with poor baseline skills. Most students' STT-produced texts had at least a similar ratio of meaningfulness and text quality as keyboarding. However, the magnitude of the changes and development patterns varied, with three students showing the most notable impacts. In conclusion, this study's intervention seemed beneficial in initially instructing STT, and the progress monitoring guided individually adapted future interventions such as balancing productivity and formal language aspects. Removing the spelling barrier with STT provided an opportunity for students to improve their higher-order skills, such as vocabulary diversity and overall text quality. Furthermore, visible progress, such as the ability to produce longer texts, might motivate continued STT usage. However, such development may not always be immediate.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"3110-3129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141082602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EEG-based brain-computer interface methods with the aim of rehabilitating advanced stage ALS patients.","authors":"Alireza Pirasteh, Manouchehr Shamseini Ghiyasvand, Majid Pouladian","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2316312","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2316312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis, ultimately resulting in the loss of ability to communicate and control the environment. EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) methods have shown promise in providing communication and control with the aim of rehabilitating ALS patients. In particular, P300-based BCI has been widely studied and used for ALS rehabilitation. Other EEG-based BCI methods, such as Motor Imagery (MI) based BCI and Hybrid BCI, have also shown promise in ALS rehabilitation. Nonetheless, EEG-based BCI methods hold great potential for improvement. This review article introduces and reviews FFT, WPD, CSP, CSSP, CSP, and GC feature extraction methods. The Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) is an efficient and common technique for extracting data properties used in BCI systems. In addition, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Networks (NN), and Deep Learning (DL) classification methods were introduced and reviewed. SVM is the most appropriate classifier due to its insensitivity to the curse of dimensionality. Also, DL is used in the design of BCI systems and is a good choice for BCI systems based on motor imagery with big datasets. Despite the progress made in the field, there are still challenges to overcome, such as improving the accuracy and reliability of EEG signal detection and developing more intuitive and user-friendly interfaces By using BCI, disabled patients can communicate with their caregivers and control their environment using various devices, including wheelchairs, and robotic arms.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"3183-3193"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139944554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspective analysis of assistive robots for elderly in India.","authors":"Pradyoth Hegde, Amruth Gadag, Swapnil Sontakke, Mahesh Kumar, Aparna Kholia, Jaynit Patel, Ayaan Khan, Enduri Jahnavi, Rajesh Nabala, Deepak Thotappa","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2322634","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2322634","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Assistive technology for elderly are advancing, and this study aimed to analyse the Indian perspective on utilising assistive robot technology for aiding elderly individuals.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A population-based survey was undertaken to collect data from three perspectives: Relatives of the elderly, Healthcare professionals and Elderly individuals. The survey gathered 389 responses. The responses are statistically analysed, and data is visualised with different plots for better understanding.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>It is observed that the older people rate with less conviction on the use of technology when compared to the relatives and healthcare professionals. Out of the three target groups, the elderly individuals had the most correlating attributes to purchasing the robot. Also, healthcare personnel, relatives, and older people gave 82%, 63% and 55% affirmatives to the question on purchasing the robot, respectively. And the cost of the robot is preferred to be under 6 lakh rupees.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Though the younger generation has more orientation towards technology, older people are skeptical about handling computer gadgets or robots. However, there are significant expectations and concerns expressed by three target groups such as conversational, navigational, reminder features, security and malfunction concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"2915-2924"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140050725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engaging wheelchair and scooter users in the co-design of an mHealth application for fall prevention and management: thematic analysis of focus group research.","authors":"Sahel Moein, Elizabeth Walker Peterson, Ziwei Li, John Morris, Toni Van Denend, Jacob J Sosnoff, Deborah Backus, Joshi Pramod, Lina Hawari, Maryanne Nguyen, Laura A Rice","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2422391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2422391","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to explore the potential of a mobile health (mHealth) application (app) to support the delivery of a fall prevention and management program, Individualized Reduction of FaLLs (iROLL), for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) who use wheelchairs and scooters (WC/S) full-time by seeking end-users' input into the functioning and ongoing design of the iROLL-O + mobile app. Two focus group discussions included nine adults with SCI or MS who used a WC/S for at least 75% of mobility, who experienced at least one fall in the past three years and have internet and access to an internet-capable device. One group had prior iROLL experience (<i>n</i> = 4); while the other had none (<i>n</i> = 5). The focus groups examined the app's usefulness, accessibility, appearance, and ease of use. The participants with prior iROLL experience also discussed how the app would enhance their experience with the program. Thematic analysis revealed five app-related themes: perceived usefulness, perceived usability, accessibility, appearance, and enhancement of the iROLL experience, with participants providing actionable suggestions for improvement. Participants with previous exposure to the iROLL program emphasized the app's potential to facilitate flexible access to the program and expand its reach to a wider audience. The iROLL-O + app was perceived positively, especially with respect to the enhancement of users' access and experience with the program. Focus group findings will inform ongoing app development for optimized usability and reduced likelihood of technology abandonment.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONEnd-users' impressions of the Individual Reduction of faLLs Online application (iROLL-O + app) highlight the potential for integrating mHealth apps in fall prevention and management education efforts, offering a promising and accessible avenue to support the delivery of tailored programs.The study notes that the app facilitates flexible access and wider reach to the program, indicating the importance of incorporating features that enhance accessibility and accommodate the diverse needs of individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters.Actionable suggestions provided by participants underscore the importance of a user-centered design approach in developing rehabilitation-related mobile apps.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Picture communication symbols and voice symbols: iconicity and preference among healthy older adults in Taiwan.","authors":"Meng-Ju Tsai, Pei-Chun Chen, Shwu-Jiuan Wang, Ren-Hau Li","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2420188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2420188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Purpose</b>.</p><p><p>Unaided (e.g., speech and gestures) and aided (e.g., symbol corpuses) communication modes facilitate older adults' expression and comprehension. Adults aged 65 years and above constituted 18.27% of Taiwan's total population in 2023; hence, prioritizing high-quality healthcare for older adults becomes critical. Commercial symbol corpuses, such as Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) and Voice Symbols (VS), play a vital role in aiding older adults with expression and comprehension in Taiwan. Previous studies on iconicity and preference of symbol corpuses have primarily been conducted in Western and South Asian cultural communities. However, these findings may not apply to all Asian communities. Hence, studies investigating these aspects in specific communities are needed. Through quantitative nonexperimental observations, we explored the iconicity of and preference for PCS and VS among 30 healthy older adults in Taiwan.</p><p><p><b>Materials and Methods</b>.</p><p><p>A total of 12 practice words and test words each, familiar to the participants and socially and culturally validated, were selected for the developed VS-PCS iconicity and preference measurement. Verbal choices were made to select one line drawing in both measurements.</p><p><p><b>Results & Conclusions</b>.</p><p><p>The findings revealed that VS is significantly more transparent and preferred than PCS. Accounting for the iconicity of and preferences for symbol corpuses is pivotal for symbol selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Inclusion for People with Intellectual Disability and on the Autism Spectrum through Assistive Technologies: Current Needs and Future Priorities.","authors":"Carla Sousa, Paulina Tsvetkova, Patricia Pérez-Fuster, May Agius, Snezhana Kostova, Karolina Bolesta, Flávia Megda Garcia, Benjamin Nanchen, Alan H Tkaczyk","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2414414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2414414","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Context: </strong>Contemporary technologies, such as mainstream and specialised Assistive Technologies (ATs), are seen as effective. However, there is a noticeable gap between technological progress and the ability to customise these technologies to meet the unique needs and characteristics of neurodivergent individuals, particularly those on the Autism Spectrum and people with Intellectual Disability (pwID).</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The goal of this study is to investigate the present requirements and future priorities acknowledged by specialists in the field regarding the progress of social inclusion for this population, making use of ATs.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>A qualitative survey involving 24 international experts, and its respective thematic analysis reveals challenges in social inclusion, emphasizing communication and physical accessibility, awareness gaps, and stigma. Concurrently, issues surrounding ATs include limited access, insufficient training, and a lack of awareness and skills, with individuals, and families being inadequately involved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion and implications: </strong>The study proposes strategies for overcoming these challenges, with a focus on accessibility, awareness, skills, family involvement, and customization. Identified research needs encompass scientific development, inclusive approaches, and changes in technological development paradigms.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of human-centered design principles to wearable exoskeletons: a systematic review.","authors":"Emmanuel Assare-Mokwah, S Arunkumar","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2415433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2415433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Purpose of the article:</b> As technologies continue to advance, designing wearable exoskeletons that are comfortable, safe, reliable, and engaging for users is an arduous task. The integration of HCD principles in exoskeleton development significantly contributes to ensuring that the product meets the needs and preferences of users. This study systematically reviews the application of human-centred design (HCD) principles in the development of wearable exoskeletons.</p><p><p><b>Methodology:</b> It synthesizes existing literature, identifies key HCD concepts and assesses their impact on exoskeleton usability, comfort, and safety. The findings of the study revealed a moderate application of HCD in many of the studies; however, the concepts were found to play a crucial role in enhancing the usability, safety, and comfort of wearable exoskeleton technology implementation. Challenges revealed in the study include limited stakeholder involvement, a lack of standardized evaluation metrics, non-consideration of ethical, legal, and social issues, and a lack of studies on the potential adverse effects of exoskeleton use. Besides identifying the challenges faced in integrating HCD principles into exoskeleton development, the study also proposed pragmatic approaches to overcome them.</p><p><p><b>Results:</b> The study underscores the significance of incorporating human-centred design principles in the design and development of wearable exoskeletons. This has implications for industry, rehabilitation, health, and agriculture to churn out positive outcomes. The research contributes to the expanding literature on wearable exoskeletons and HCD, offering valuable insights into the advancement of this technology in various domains and suggesting areas for future studies to address identified gaps.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing navigation and obstacle avoidance with a vibrotactile device as secondary electronic travel aid.","authors":"Carlos de Paz, Juan Antonio Huertas, Jorge Ibáñez-Gijón, Juan Andrés Martín-Gonzalo, Ana Belén Varas, David Travieso","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2417264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2417264","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>People with visual impairments commonly rely on the use of a white cane to navigate and avoid obstacles. Although this analog tool is highly reliable and easy to use, its drawback is the impossibility to anticipate obstacles beyond reach and routes, as well as obstacles above waist level. Electronic travel aids (ETAs) and sensory substitution devices (SSDs) are new technological solutions designed to enhance the tactile and/or auditory capabilities to access the information needed to overcome those drawbacks. In the present study, 25 individuals with visual impairments used the T-Sight, a vibrotactile SSD, and/or the white cane in a navigation task involving obstacle avoidance. While the performance achieved with the device, measured by the number of collisions and walking speed, did not surpass the white cane, the SSD did have a positive impact on ambulation. Participants reduced the number of white cane touches towards environmental obstacles and performed obstacle avoidance maneuvers earlier. These results demonstrate the potential of vibrotactile devices to address the limitations of the white cane.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142477776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational therapists' perspectives on welfare technologies for dementia: exploring recommendation frequencies - a pilot study.","authors":"Antonios Tsertsidis, Gideon Mbiydzenyuy","doi":"10.1080/17483107.2024.2412785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2024.2412785","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occupational therapists have long been recognized for their expertise in welfare technology use, particularly in the context of dementia care. Despite this advanced training, however, there is often a gap between their knowledge of available technologies and the frequency with which they recommend these tools to individuals with dementia.</p><p><strong>Aims/objectives: </strong>This study explores the perspectives of occupational therapists on the recommendations of welfare technologies for individuals with dementia.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A survey was created with the assistance of an expert group in a Swedish municipality. The survey consisted of 26 questions (demographics, background/workload, perceptions of welfare technologies, accessibility/information and knowledge on how and when to use, and initiation of contact and recommendation frequency) and was distributed to 60 occupational therapists within the selected municipality. We received a total of 29 responses. The responses were then analyzed qualitatively for meaningful insights across various themes. Using an encoding scheme, a statistical analysis of the responses was performed to uncover potential trends in the distribution of the responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results indicate positive perceptions of welfare technologies by occupational therapists, but a low frequency of recommendations for individuals with dementia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and significance: </strong>Based on the results, we find it important to advocate for more educational opportunities for occupational therapists regarding welfare technologies and improved organizational structures that promote their understanding and ultimately benefits of recommending welfare technologies to individuals with dementia.</p>","PeriodicalId":47806,"journal":{"name":"Disability and Rehabilitation-Assistive Technology","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142477778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}