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JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Development and evaluation of rehabilitation, physiotherapy and assistive technologies, robotics, prosthetics and implants, mobility and communication tools, home automation, and telerehabilitation.
Background: Web-based concussion self-management education programs for adolescents can improve functional outcomes, reduce concussion symptoms, and increase self-efficacy. However, there are a limited number of studies examining the perceptions and acceptance of these programs and the use of these tools in the adult concussion population. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions and acceptance of clinicians and people with concussion using MyGuide Concussion, an online concussion self-management tool. Methods: Using a mixed-methods content analysis approach, people with concussion and clinicians who used MyGuide Concussion over the past two years were interviewed and their responses were analyzed. Results: Participants reported two key benefits of using the online self-management tool: 1) the tool’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of physical and psychological symptoms, and 2) the ability to provide reassurance that symptoms being experienced were a normal part of the concussion experience. Clinicians described the tool as being useful as a supplementary source of information for clients in addition to clinical sessions, and believed the content was useful for increasing clients’ independence in managing their own recovery. Conclusions: Overall, the evaluation of the MyGuide tool is an acceptable and well-perceived tool for people with concussion that require a basic understanding of concussion recovery, particularly in the early stages of recovery. Future research may include optimizing MyGuide by targeting promotional strategies and addressing other barriers to use. Clinical Trial: N/A
(Toronto, March 29, 2023) We are pleased to announce JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies has been selected for inclusion in the Web of Science™.
This milestone serves as a testament to the journal's contribution to the field of rehabilitation and assistive technologies, as well as the dedication of the editorial board overseeing the journal.
This also means that JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies may receive its inaugural journal impact factor as early as July 2024.
We thank our authors, reviewers, and editors to make this success possible.
JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies (Editor in Chief: Sarah Munce, PhD) is a PubMed/PubMed Central, SCOPUS, DOAJ, Web of Science, Sherpa/Romeo and EBSCO/EBSCO Essentials indexed journal that focuses on readable and applied science that reports on the development, implementation, and evaluation of health innovations and emerging technologies in the field of rehabilitation.
The journal has a Scopus Citescore of 3.6 and is ranked Q2 (38/146) in the Medicine-Rehabilitation category (74th percentile, so at the brink of being in Q1!) as well as Q2 (69/226) in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation category.
Background: Physical activity (PA) represents a low-cost and readily available means of mitigating multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and alleviating the disease course. Nevertheless, persons with MS engage in lower levels of PA than the general population.
Objective: This study aims to enhance the understanding of the barriers to PA engagement in persons with MS and to evaluate the applicability of the Barriers to Health Promoting Activities for Disabled Persons (BHADP) scale for assessing barriers to PA in persons with MS, by comparing the BHADP score with self-reported outcomes of fatigue, depression, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life, as well as sensor-measured PA.
Methods: Study participants (n=45; median age 46, IQR 40-51 years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale score 4.5, IQR 3.5-6) were recruited among persons with MS attending inpatient neurorehabilitation. They wore a Fitbit Inspire HR (Fitbit Inc) throughout their stay at the rehabilitation clinic (phase 1; 2-4 wk) and for the 4 following weeks at home (phase 2; 4 wk). Sensor-based step counts and cumulative minutes in moderate to vigorous PA were computed for the last 7 days at the clinic and at home. On the basis of PA during the last 7 end-of-study days, we grouped the study participants as active (≥10,000 steps/d) and less active (<10,000 steps/d) to explore PA barriers compared with PA level. PA barriers were repeatedly assessed through the BHADP scale. We described the relevance of the 18 barriers of the BHADP scale assessed at the end of the study and quantified their correlations with the Spearman correlation test. We evaluated the associations of the BHADP score with end-of-study reported outcomes of fatigue, depression, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life with multivariable regression models. We performed separate regression analyses to examine the association of the BHADP score with different sensor-measured outcomes of PA.
Results: The less active group reported higher scores for the BHADP items Feeling what I do doesn’t help, No one to help me, and Lack of support from family/friends. The BHADP items Not interested in PA and Impairment were positively correlated. The BHADP score was positively associated with measures of fatigue and depression and negatively associated with self-efficacy and health-related quality of life. The BHADP score showed an inverse relationship with the level of PA measured but not when dichotomized according to the recommended PA level thresholds.
Conclusions: The BHADP scale is a valid and well-adapted tool for persons with MS because it reflects common MS symptoms such as fatigue and depression, as well as self-efficacy and health-related quality of life. Moreover, decreases in PA levels are often related to increases in specific barriers in the lives of persons with MS and should hence be addressed jointly in health care management.
Background: Older adults face barriers to specialty care, such as occupational therapy (OT), and these challenges are worse for rural older adults. While in-home video telehealth may increase access to OT, older adults’ health- and technology-related challenges may necessitate caregiver assistance.
Objective: This study examines caregiver assistance with in-home OT video telehealth visits from the perspectives of OT practitioners at Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Methods: A web-based national survey of VHA OT practitioners about caregivers’ role in video telehealth was conducted between January and February 2022. Survey items were developed with input from subject matter experts in geriatrics and OT and identified patient factors that necessitate caregiver participation; the extent to which caregivers assist with different types of tasks (technological and clinical tasks); and the perceived facilitators of, benefits of, and barriers to caregiver involvement.
Results: Of approximately 1787 eligible VHA OT practitioners, 286 (16% response rate) participated. Not all survey items required completion, resulting in different denominators. Most respondents were female (183/226, 81%), White (163/225, 72.4%), and occupational therapists (275/286, 96.2%). Respondents were from 87 VHA medical centers, the catchment areas of which served a patient population that was 34% rural, on average (SD 0.22). Most participants (162/232, 69.8%) had >10 years of OT experience serving a patient cohort mostly aged ≥65 years (189/232, 81.5%) in primarily outpatient rehabilitation (132/232, 56.9%). The top patient factors necessitating caregiver involvement were lack of technical skills, cognitive impairment, and advanced patient age, with health-related impairments (eg, hearing or vision loss) less frequent. Technological tasks that caregivers most frequently assisted with were holding, angling, moving, repositioning, or operating the camera (136/250, 54.4%) and enabling and operating the microphone and setting the volume (126/248, 50.8%). Clinical tasks that caregivers most frequently assisted with were providing patient history (143/239, 59.8%) and assisting with patient communication (124/240, 51.7%). The top facilitator of caregiver participation was clinician-delivered caregiver education about what to expect from video telehealth (152/275, 55.3%), whereas the top barrier was poor connectivity (80/235, 34%). Increased access to video telehealth (212/235, 90.2%) was the top-rated benefit of caregiver participation. Most respondents (164/232, 70.7%) indicated that caregivers were at least sometimes unavailable or unable to assist with video telehealth, in which case the appointment often shifted to phone.
Conclusions: Caregivers routinely assist VHA patients with in-home OT video visits, which is invaluable to patients who are older and have complex medical needs. Barriers to caregiver involvement include caregivers’ challenges with video telehealth or inability to assist, or lack of available caregivers. By elucidating the caregiver support role in video visits, this study provides clinicians with strategies to effectively partner with caregivers to enhance older patients’ access to video visits.
Trial Registration:
Background: The acquisition of handwriting skills is essential for a child’s academic success, self-confidence, and general school performance. Nevertheless, an estimated 5% to 27% of children face handwriting challenges, where the ability to modulate pressure on the pencil and lead on the paper is a key motor component.
Objective: We aimed to investigate the experience with and usability of the SensoGrip system, a pressure-measuring pen system with personalized real-time feedback about pressure modulation, in a clinical setting with children and occupational therapists (OTs).
Methods: A multimethods study was conducted, incorporating qualitative interviews and questionnaires with children, user diaries, focus group discussions, and a usability questionnaire with OTs, along with a questionnaire for parents.
Results: The study involved OTs (n=8), children with handwriting difficulties (n=16), and their parents (n=16), each of whom used the SensoGrip system in up to 5 therapy sessions. OTs reported that the SensoGrip system helped to focus the child’s awareness on handwriting pressure and to measure it objectively. The system received high acceptance and usability ratings from the OTs—usefulness: median score of 4 out of 7; ease of use and ease of learning: median score of 6 out of 7; and satisfaction: median score of 6 out of 7. Participants appreciated that it fosters pressure awareness and motivation to draw and write.
Conclusions: The SensoGrip pressure-sensing system with real-time feedback is a promising tool for pediatric occupational therapy. It supports children with handwriting difficulties to adjust their pressure application during the task. In the future, controlled quantitative trials are warranted to further examine the system’s impact.
Trial Registration:
Background: Digital interventions provided through smartphones or the internet that are guided by a coach have been proposed as promising solutions to support the self-management of chronic conditions. However, digital intervention for poststroke self-management is limited; we developed the interactive Self-Management Augmented by Rehabilitation Technologies (iSMART) intervention to address this gap.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the feasibility and initial effects of the iSMART intervention to improve self-management self-efficacy in people with stroke.
Methods: A parallel, 2-arm, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial of 12-week duration was conducted. A total of 24 participants with mild-to-moderate chronic stroke were randomized to receive either the iSMART intervention or a manual of stroke rehabilitation (attention control). iSMART was a coach-guided, technology-supported self-management intervention designed to support people managing chronic conditions and maintaining active participation in daily life after stroke. Feasibility measures included retention and engagement rates in the iSMART group. For both the iSMART intervention and active control groups, we used the Feasibility of Intervention Measure, Acceptability of Intervention Measure, and Intervention Appropriateness Measure to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness, respectively. Health measures included the Participation Strategies Self-Efficacy Scale and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System’s Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Conditions.
Results: The retention rate was 82% (9/11), and the engagement (SMS text message response) rate was 78% for the iSMART group. Mean scores of the Feasibility of Intervention Measure, Acceptability of Intervention Measure, and Intervention Appropriateness Measure were 4.11 (SD 0.61), 4.44 (SD 0.73), and 4.36 (SD 0.70), respectively, which exceeded our benchmark (4 out of 5), suggesting high feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of iSMART. The iSMART group showed moderate-to-large effects in improving self-efficacy in managing emotions (r=0.494), symptoms (r=0.514), daily activities (r=0.593), and treatments and medications (r=0.870), but the control group showed negligible-to-small effects in decreasing self-efficacy in managing emotions (r=0.252), symptoms (r=0.262), daily activities (r=0.136), and treatments and medications (r=0.049). In addition, the iSMART group showed moderate-to-large effects of increasing the use of participation strategies for management in the home (r=0.554), work (r=0.633), community (r=0.673), and communication activities (r=0.476). In contrast, the control group showed small-to-large effects of decreasing the use of participation strategies for management in the home (r=0.567), work (r=0.342, community (r=0.215), and communication activities (r=0.379).
Conclusions: Our findings support the idea that iSMART was feasible to improve poststroke self-management self-efficacy. Our results also support using a low-cost solution, such as SMS text messaging, to supplement traditional therapeutic patient education interventions. Further evaluation with a larger sample of participants is still needed.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov 202004137; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04743037?id=202004137&rank=1
Background: Youth (age 15-24 years) with and without disability are not adequately represented enough in exercise research due to a lack of time and transportation. These barriers can be overcome by including accessible web-based assessments that eliminate the need for on-site visitations. There is no simple, low-cost, and psychometrically sound compilation of measures for physical fitness and function that can be applied to youth with and without mobility disabilities.
Objective: The first purpose was to determine the statistical level of agreement of 4 web-modified clinical assessments with how they are typically conducted in person at a laboratory (convergent validity). The second purpose was to determine the level of agreement between a novice and an expert rater (interrater reliability). The third purpose was to explore the feasibility of implementing the assessments via 2 metrics: safety and duration.
Methods: The study enrolled 19 ambulatory youth: 9 (47%) with cerebral palsy with various mobility disabilities from a children’s hospital and 10 (53%) without disabilities from a university student population. Participants performed a battery of tests via videoconferencing and in person. The test condition (teleassessment and in person) order was randomized. The battery consisted of the hand grip strength test with a dynamometer, the five times sit-to-stand test (FTST), the timed up-and-go (TUG) test, and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) either around a standard circular track (in person) or around a smaller home-modified track (teleassessment version, home-modified 6-minute walk test [HM6MWT]). Statistical analyses included descriptive data, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and Bland-Altman plots.
Results: The mean time to complete the in-person assessment was 16.9 (SD 4.8) minutes and the teleassessment was 21.1 (SD 5.9) minutes. No falls, injuries, or adverse events occurred. Excellent convergent validity was shown for telemeasured hand grip strength (right ICC=0.96, left ICC=0.98, P<.001) and the TUG test (ICC=0.92, P=.01). The FTST demonstrated good agreement (ICC=0.95, 95% CI 0.79-0.98; P=.01). The HM6MWT demonstrated poor absolute agreement with the 6MWT. However, further exploratory analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between the tests (r=0.83, P<.001). The interrater reliability was excellent for all tests (all ICCs>0.9, P<.05).
Conclusions: This study suggests that videoconference assessments are convenient and useful measures of fitness and function among youth with and without disabilities. This paper presents operationalized teleassessment procedures that can be replicated by health professionals to produce valid and reliable measurements. This study is a first step toward developing teleassessments that can bypass the need for on-site data collection visitations for this age group. Further research is needed to identify psychometrically sound teleassessment procedures, particularly for measures of cardiorespiratory endurance or walking ability.
Background: Musculoskeletal pain is a prevalent concern among diverse populations, from the average individual to the elite athlete. Handheld percussive massage therapy devices like massage guns have gained much popularity in both medical and athletic settings. Its application has been prominently recognized in injury prevention and rehabilitation. The expansion of the market to provide handheld percussive therapy devices with varying features and price points has encouraged professional and novice use. While percussive therapy holds similarities to more studied therapeutic modalities, like vibration therapy and soft tissue mobilization, there is limited evidence-based information on the indications and contraindications.
Objective: This study aims to use a qualitative analysis of consumer perceptions to understand the perceived therapeutic potential of percussive massage therapy as a home-based intervention for musculoskeletal concerns of everyday users and elite athletes. Additionally, we aim to gain insight on valuable characteristics supporting its therapeutic potential as well as pertinent limitations.
Methods: The TOLOCO massage gun (TOLOCO) was identified as the best-selling percussive massage therapy device on Amazon. We performed an inductive thematic qualitative analysis on the top 100 positive comments and the top 100 critical comments of the device between June 2020 and April 2023 to determine 4 relevant themes.
Results: The 4 themes identified upon qualitative analysis were pain management, versatility, accessibility, and safety and user education. Consumer reviews indicated use for this percussive therapy device in adolescents, adults, and older people across a spectrum of activity levels. Consumers reported the therapeutic potential of percussive massage therapy in managing wide-ranging musculoskeletal concerns like acute pain, chronic pain, nonsurgical injury rehabilitation, postsurgical injury rehabilitation, and injury prevention. Consumers highlighted the versatility of the device to address person-specific needs as a key feature in supporting its perceived therapeutic benefits. Additionally, consumers frequently commented on the affordability and availability of this device to increase accessibility to home-based care. Some critical reviews emphasized a concern for the quality of the device itself. However, this concern did not translate to the overall modality of percussive massage therapy. Of note, despite strong approval for its therapeutic potential, consumer reviews lacked evidence-based insights on appropriate usage.
Conclusions: Home-based percussive massage therapy holds value with its perceived efficacy in pain management for acute and chronic conditions, as well as in injury prevention and rehabilitation. As a low-cost and readily available device for everyday users and high-performing athletes, percussive massage therapy works toward establishing increased health care accessibility and optimizing health care usage. This home-based intervention can serve to reduce the significant personal and economic burden of prevalent musculoskeletal concerns. However, the limited scientific research on percussive massage therapy raises concerns about the lack of evidence-based care and indicates the need for future studies.
Background: Transosseous distraction osteosynthesis is prioritized in orthopedic care for children with achondroplasia. However, difficulties encountered during treatment and rehabilitation directly impact patients’ quality of life. Using rod external fixators within a semicircular frame for osteosynthesis is less traumatic compared to spoke circular devices. Their straightforward assembly and mounting on the limb segment can help significantly reduce treatment duration, thereby improving children’s quality of life during treatment and rehabilitation.
Objective: This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the quality of life (measured by postoperative pain syndrome, physical activity, and emotional state) among children with achondroplasia undergoing paired limb lengthening using either an external fixator with modified distraction control or a circular multiaxial system developed by the authors.
Methods: This was an observational, prospective, nonrandomized, and longitudinal study with historical control. The study group consisted of 14 patients ranging from 5 to 15 (mean 7.6, SD 2.3) years old with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of achondroplasia. All patients underwent paired limb lengthening with a rod external fixator and a modified distraction control developed by the authors. A total of 28 limb segments, among them 4 (14%) humeri, 8 (29%) femurs, and 16 (57%) tibias, were lengthened in 1 round. Unpublished data from the previous study served as the control group, comprising 9 patients (18 limb segments) of the same age group (mean age at surgery 8.6, SD 2.3 years), who underwent limb lengthening surgery using a circular multiaxial system—2 (11%) humeri, 6 (33%) femurs, and 10 (56%) tibias. The Wong-Baker Faces Rating Scale was used to measure pain symptoms, while the Russified Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) v4.0 questionnaire assessed quality of life.
Results: During the latent phase (7 to 10 days after surgery), a more pronounced decrease in the indicators of physical activity and emotional state on the PedsQL v4.0 questionnaire was noted in the control group (mean 52.4, SD 4.8 versus mean 52.8, SD 5.5 points according to children’s responses and their parents’ responses, respectively) compared to the experimental group (mean 59.5, SD 6.8 points and mean 61.33, SD 6.5 points according to the children’s responses and their parents’ responses, respectively). The differences between the groups were statistically significant (P<.05 for children's responses and P<.01 for parents’ responses). Importantly, 6 months after surgery, these quality-of-life indicators, as reported by children in the experimental group, averaged 70.25 (SS 4.8) points. Similarly, their parents reported a mean of 70.54 (SD 4.2) points. In the control group, the corresponding values were 69.64 (SD 5.6) and 69.35 (SD 6.2), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups.
Conclusions: The external fixator with modified distraction control developed by the authors provides a higher standard of living compared with the circular multiaxial system during the latency phase.
Background: Bracing is an essential part of scoliosis treatment. The standard of brace treatment for patients with scoliosis today is still very variable in terms of brace quality and outcome. The Gensingen brace is a further developed Chêneau brace derivative with individual design, which can be adapted through computer-aided design.
Objective: This study aims to generate a template to obtain a database for prospective multicenter studies study to analyze the results of high-corrective asymmetric Gensingen brace treatment for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
Methods: A template for the database was created, which contains the patients' basic data (age, menarcheal status, Risser Sign, curve pattern, and daily brace wearing time), the Cobb angles of curvature, and the cosmetically relevant angles of trunk rotation (ATR). A retrospective review of medical records of patients with AIS, who met the Scoliosis Research Society’s inclusion criteria for brace studies, was performed to test the feasibility of the template. Template items were filled in by the researchers.
Results: Out of 115 patients between 2014 and 2018, the complete data of 33 patients followed up at least 3 months after complete Gensingen brace weaning could be analyzed. The mean age was 12 years, the mean Cobb angle was 33.6°, and the mean Risser value was 0.7 at the beginning of the treatment. The mean improvement in the Cobb angle on in-brace x-ray imaging was –26.1० (80% of in-brace correction). The Cobb angle of the major curvature changed as follows: curve stabilization was achieved in 7 (21.2%) cases, and curve improvement was achieved in 26 (78.8%) cases. None of the patients showed a curve progression. The Cobb angle was significantly reduced in the brace at the end of treatment and at follow-up evaluation (P<.001). ATR improved significantly for thoracic (P<.001) and lumbar curves (P<.001).
Conclusions: The database proved to be informative in the assessment of radiological and clinical outcome parameters. The example data set we have generated can be a helpful tool for professionals who work in clinics but do not store regular patient data. Especially with regard to different patient collectives worldwide, different results may be achieved with the same standards of care. In addition, the results of this study suggest that above-average correction effects with a full-time brace application lead to significant improvements in the Cobb angle after brace treatment has been completed.
Background: As many as 60% of individuals use a wheelchair long term after a spinal cord injury (SCI). This mode of locomotion leads to chronic decline in lower-extremity weight-bearing activities and contributes to the development of severe sublesional osteoporosis and high rates of fragility fracture. Overground exoskeleton-assisted walking programs provide a novel opportunity to increase lower-extremity weight bearing, with the potential to improve bone health.
Objective: The aim of the study is to measure the potential effects of an exoskeleton-assisted walking program on lower-extremity bone strength and bone remodeling biomarkers in individuals with chronic (≥18 months) SCI who use a wheelchair.
Methods: In total, 10 participants completed a 16-week exoskeleton-assisted walking program (34 individualized 1-hour sessions, progressing from 1 to 3 per week). Bone mineral density and bone strength markers (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry: total body, left arm, leg, total hip, and femoral neck and peripheral quantitative computed tomography: 25% of left femur and 66% of left tibia) as well as bone remodeling biomarkers (formation=osteocalcin and resorption=C-telopeptide) were measured before and after intervention and compared using nonparametric tests. Changes were considered significant and meaningful if the following criteria were met: P<0.1, effect size ≥0.5, and relative variation >5%.
Results: Significant and meaningful increases were observed at the femur (femoral neck bone mineral content, bone strength index, and stress-strain index) and tibia (cortical cross-sectional area and polar moment of inertia) after the intervention (all P<.10). We also noted a decrease in estimated femoral cortical thickness. However, no changes in bone remodeling biomarkers were found.
Conclusions: These initial results suggest promising improvements in bone strength markers after a 16-week exoskeleton-assisted walking program in individuals with chronic SCI. Additional research with larger sample sizes, longer interventions (possibly of greater loading intensity), and combined modalities (eg, pharmacotherapy or functional electrical stimulation) are warranted to strengthen current evidence.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03989752; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03989752
Background: Promoting the well-being of older adults in an aging society requires new solutions. One resource might be the use of social robots for group activities that promote physical and cognitive stimulation. Engaging in a robot-assisted group activity may help in the slowdown of physical and cognitive decline in older adults. Currently, our knowledge is limited on whether older adults engage in group activities with humanlike social robots and whether they experience a positive affect while doing so. Both are necessary preconditions to achieve the intended effects of a group activity.
Objective: Our pilot study has 2 aims. First, we aimed to develop and pilot an observational coding scheme for robot-assisted group activities because self-report data on engagement and mood of nursing home residents are often difficult to obtain, and the existing observation instruments do have limitations. Second, we aimed to investigate older adults’ engagement and mood during robot-assisted group activities in 4 different nursing care homes in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
Methods: We developed an observation system, inspired by existing tools, for a structured observation of engagement and mood of older adults during a robot-assisted group activity. In this study, 85 older adult residents from 4 different care homes in Switzerland participated in 5 robot-assisted group activity sessions, and they were observed using our developed system. The data were collected in the form of video clips that were assessed by 2 raters regarding engagement (direction of gaze, posture as well as body expression, and activity) and mood (positive and negative affects). Both variables were rated on a 5-point rating scale.
Results: Our pilot study findings show that the engagement and mood of older adults can be assessed reliably by using the proposed observational coding scheme. Most participants actively engaged in robot-assisted group activities (mean 4.19, SD 0.47; median 4.0). The variables used to measure engagement were direction of gaze (mean 4.65, SD 0.49; median 5.0), posture and body expression (mean 4.03, SD 0.71; median 4.0), and activity (mean 3.90, SD 0.65; median 4.0). Further, we observed mainly positive affects in this group. Almost no negative affect was observed (mean 1.13, SD 0.20; median 1.0), while the positive affect (mean 3.22, SD 0.55; median 3.2) was high.
Conclusions: The developed observational coding system can be used and further developed in future studies on robot-assisted group activities in the nursing home context and potentially in other settings. Additionally, our pilot study indicates that cognitive and physical stimulation of older adults can be promoted by social robots in a group setting. This finding encourages future technological development and improvement of social robots and points to the potential of observational research to systematically evaluate such developments.
Background: While self-management programs have had significant improvements for individuals with chronic conditions, less is known about the impact of self-management programs for individuals with physical disabilities who experience chronic conditions, as no holistic self-management programs exist for this population. Similarly, there is limited knowledge of how other stakeholders, such as caregivers, health experts, and researchers, view self-management programs in the context of disability, chronic health conditions, and assistive technologies.
Objective: This study aimed to obtain insight into how stakeholders perceive self-management relating to physical disability, chronic conditions, and assistive technologies.
Methods: Nine focus groups were conducted by 2 trained facilitators using semistructured interview guides. Each guide contained questions relating to stakeholders’ experiences, challenges with self-management programs, and perceptions of assistive technologies. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted on the focus group data.
Results: A total of 47 individuals participated in the focus groups. By using a constructivist grounded approach and inductive data collection, three main themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) perspectives, (2) needs, and (3) barriers of stakeholders. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of physical activity, mental health, symptom management, medication management, participant centeredness, and chronic disease and disability education. Participants viewed technology as a beneficial aide to their daily self-management and expressed their desire to have peer-to-peer support in web-based self-management programs. Additional views of technology included the ability to access individualized, educational content and connect with other individuals who experience similar health conditions or struggle with caregiving duties.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that the development of any web-based self-management program should include mental health education and resources in addition to physical activity content and symptom management and be cost-effective. Beyond the inclusion of educational resources, stakeholders desired customization or patient centeredness in the program to meet the overall needs of individuals with physical disabilities and caregivers. The development of web-based self-management programs should be holistic in meeting the needs of all stakeholders.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05481593; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05481593
Background: Rehabilitation technologies for people with stroke are rapidly evolving. These technologies have the potential to support higher volumes of rehabilitation to improve outcomes for people with stroke. Despite growing evidence of their efficacy, there is a lack of uptake and sustained use in stroke rehabilitation and a call for user-centered design approaches during technology design and development. This study focuses on a novel rehabilitation technology called exciteBCI, a complex neuromodulatory wearable technology in the prototype stage that augments locomotor rehabilitation for people with stroke. The exciteBCI consists of a brain computer interface, a muscle electrical stimulator, and a mobile app.
Objective: This study presents the evaluation phase of an iterative user-centered design approach supported by a qualitative descriptive methodology that sought to (1) explore users’ perspectives and experiences of exciteBCI and how well it fits with rehabilitation, and (2) facilitate modifications to exciteBCI design features.
Methods: The iterative usability evaluation of exciteBCI was conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 consisted of 3 sprint cycles consisting of single usability sessions with people with stroke (n=4) and physiotherapists (n=4). During their interactions with exciteBCI, participants used a “think-aloud” approach, followed by a semistructured interview. At the end of each sprint cycle, device requirements were gathered and the device was modified in preparation for the next cycle. Phase 2 focused on a “near-live” approach in which 2 people with stroke and 1 physiotherapist participated in a 3-week program of rehabilitation augmented by exciteBCI (n=3). Participants completed a semistructured interview at the end of the program. Data were analyzed from both phases using conventional content analysis.
Results: Overall, participants perceived and experienced exciteBCI positively, while providing guidance for iterative changes. Five interrelated themes were identified from the data: (1) “This is rehab” illustrated that participants viewed exciteBCI as having a good fit with rehabilitation practice; (2) “Getting the most out of rehab” highlighted that exciteBCI was perceived as a means to enhance rehabilitation through increased engagement and challenge; (3) “It is a tool not a therapist,” revealed views that the technology could either enhance or disrupt the therapeutic relationship; and (4) “Weighing up the benefits versus the burden” and (5) “Don’t make me look different” emphasized important design considerations related to device set-up, use, and social acceptability.
Conclusions: This study offers several important findings that can inform the design and implementation of rehabilitation technologies. These include (1) the design of rehabilitation technology should support the therapeutic relationship between the patient and therapist, (2) social acceptability is a design priority in rehabilitation technology but its importance varies depending on the use context, and (3) there is value in using design research methods that support understanding usability in the context of sustained use.
Background: Web-based concussion self-management education programs for adolescents can improve functional outcomes, reduce concussion symptoms, and increase self-efficacy. However, there are a limite...
Background: Web-based concussion self-management education programs for adolescents can improve functional outcomes, reduce concussion symptoms, and increase self-efficacy. However, there are a limited number of studies examining the perceptions and acceptance of these programs and the use of these tools in the adult concussion population. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions and acceptance of clinicians and people with concussion using MyGuide Concussion, an online concussion self-management tool. Methods: Using a mixed-methods content analysis approach, people with concussion and clinicians who used MyGuide Concussion over the past two years were interviewed and their responses were analyzed. Results: Participants reported two key benefits of using the online self-management tool: 1) the tool’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of physical and psychological symptoms, and 2) the ability to provide reassurance that symptoms being experienced were a normal part of the concussion experience. Clinicians described the tool as being useful as a supplementary source of information for clients in addition to clinical sessions, and believed the content was useful for increasing clients’ independence in managing their own recovery. Conclusions: Overall, the evaluation of the MyGuide tool is an acceptable and well-perceived tool for people with concussion that require a basic understanding of concussion recovery, particularly in the early stages of recovery. Future research may include optimizing MyGuide by targeting promotional strategies and addressing other barriers to use. Clinical Trial: N/A
Background: People with intellectual and other disabilities tend to have problems performing multistep tasks. To alleviate their problems, technology solutions have been developed that provide task-st...
Background: People with intellectual and other disabilities tend to have problems performing multistep tasks. To alleviate their problems, technology solutions have been developed that provide task-step instructions. Instructions are generally delivered on people’s request (e.g., as they touch an area of a computer or tablet screen) or automatically, at preset intervals. Objective: The present study carried out a preliminary assessment of a new tablet-based technology system that presented the task instructions when people walked close to the tablet rather than when they performed fine motor responses (e.g., scrolling) on the tablet screen. Methods: The system consisted of a tablet and a wireless camera and was programmed to present the first or next instruction of a task sequence as soon as the participants approached the tablet, that is, as the participants were spotted by the camera that was positioned before the tablet. Six participants were involved in the study. For three of them, two instructions were used for each task step. For the other three participants, a single instruction was used for each task step. Instructions consisted of pictorial representations combined with brief verbal description of the corresponding action (task step). The impact of the system was assessed for each of the two groups of participants using a non-concurrent multiple baseline design across individuals. Results: All participants were successful in using the system. Their mean frequency of correct task steps were close to or above 11.5 for tasks including 12 steps. Their level of correct performance tended to be much lower during the baseline phase when they were to get the task instructions from a regular tablet through scrolling responses. Conclusions: The findings, which need to be interpreted with caution given the preliminary nature of the study, suggest that the new tablet-based technology system might be a useful tool for supporting the performance of multistep tasks.
The immediate context in which a person lives shapes their experience of impairment and disability. Assistive technology (AT) tools are the interface between impairment and context. This article prese...
The immediate context in which a person lives shapes their experience of impairment and disability. Assistive technology (AT) tools are the interface between impairment and context. This article presents a new framework for the design of assistive technology. It provides a theoretical exploration of the relationship between context, assistive technology and impairment. For this, first, we examine the theoretical challenges raised by the interface AT and impairments, considering dominant conceptual models of disability. Then, we analysed the role of context in the design, distribution and use of AT. Our framework addresses the current disconnect between the population the technology aims to serve and the innovation ecosystem. Disability is very diverse, and persons with diverse impairments benefit from different technology. Because of this diversity, we focus on visual impairment. We conclude this article by laying out a new framework for the design of AT that addresses the role of the context in which a person lives and aims to enable personal freedom in it. We do it by using the lenses of the capabilities approach. Our framework goes beyond the classical approach of only looking at AT as a tool for task performance. We argue that AT becomes a conversion tool that enables disabled persons to reach full social participation, addressing the variety of social and environmental contexts in which persons with disabilities live. Finally, we provide recommendations for future research.
Background: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is reported to be among the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases globally, presenting ongoing challenges and increasing burden on healthcare systems. In an...
Background: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is reported to be among the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases globally, presenting ongoing challenges and increasing burden on healthcare systems. In an effort to support PD patients, their carers, and the wider healthcare sector to manage this incurable condition, focus has begun to shift away from traditional treatments. One of the most contemporary treatments includes the prescribing of Assistive Technologies (ATs), which are viewed as a way to promote independent living and deliver remote care. The uptake of these ATs is varied, however, with some users not ready or willing to all forms of AT and others only willing to accept low-technology solutions. Consequently, to manage both the demands on resources and the efficiency with which ATs are deployed, new approaches are needed to automatically assess or predict a user’s likelihood to accept and adopt a particular AT in advance of it being prescribed. It is then necessary to use classification algorithms supporting effective AT allocation. From a computational perspective, different classification algorithms and selection criteria can be considered to address this need. Objective: This paper presents a novel hybrid MCDM approach to support classifier selection in technology adoption processes involving PD patients. Methods: First, the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) was implemented to calculate the relative priorities of criteria and sub-criteria considering experts’ knowledge and uncertainty. Second, the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (IF-DEMATEL) was applied to evaluate the cause-effect relations among criteria/sub-criteria. Finally, the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) was used to rank the candidate classifiers based on their capability to model the technology adoption. Results: A case study involving a mobile smartphone solution was employed to validate the proposed methodology. Structure (F5) was identified as the factor with the highest relative priority (global weight = 0.214) while Adaptability (F4) (D - R = 1.234) was found to be the most influencing aspect when selecting classifiers for technology adoption in PD patients. In this case, the most appropriate algorithm for supporting technology adoption in PD patients was the A3 - J48 Decision Tree (M3 = 2.5592). Conclusions: The IF-AHP-IF-DEMATEL-CoCoSo approach helps to identify classification algorithms that cannot only discriminate between good and bad adopters of assistive technologies within the Parkinson’s population but also consider technology-specific features like design, quality, and compatibility that make these classifiers easily implementable by clinicians in the healthcare system.
