Conceptualization of Hand-TaPS to measure the subjective experience of dynamic hand orthoses in promoting functional recovery at home after stroke.

Background: Dynamic exoskeleton orthoses provide assistance needed to complete movements that would otherwise be impossible after stroke. Beyond the demonstration of their effectiveness, the subjective experience of dynamic orthoses also needs to be considered.

Objective: To support functional recovery after stroke through the development of Hand-TaPS (Task Practice after Stroke), an instrument to evaluate dynamic hand orthoses in home therapy.

Methods: Dynamic hand orthosis subject matter experts (N = 14), professionals and consumers, considered the items of PYTHEIA, a valid and reliable instrument merging well-tested, assistive technology (AT) assessment items with those tuned to the greater complexity of emerging technologies. Experts reflected on how each item aligned with their personal experience of dynamic orthosis use. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guided identification of themes.

Results: Four themes (5/20 items) appraised highly relevant for Hand-TaPS. The remaining eight themes (15/20 items) were deemed in need of modification.

Conclusions: Dynamic hand orthoses constitute a special case of AT; the assistance they provide targets therapy, not ADLs. Our work to develop Hand-TaPS provides a clear example of the theoretical difference between rehabilitative and assistive technology and underscores the importance of consideration of how a device is used in its assessment.