Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on development of assistive technology using the comprehensive assistive technology model

Ruben Debeuf, Maaike Fobelets, Joris Vaneyghen, Ben Naets, Ben Minnaert, Evelien De Wachter, Rik Lambrechts, David Beckwée, Bart Jansen, Catherine Middag, Eva Swinnen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
31 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The implementation of technology in healthcare shows promising results and provides new opportunities in rehabilitation. However, the adoption of technology into daily care is largely dependent on the acceptance rate of end-users. This study aims to gather information from healthcare professionals on the development of new assistive technology that match users’ needs using the Comprehensive Assistive Technology model. In total 27 healthcare professionals (12 occupational therapists, 8 physiotherapists, 3 nurses, 2 allied health directors, a physician and a speech therapist) attended one of four online focus group discussions. These focus group discussions were structured using a question guide based on three predefined scenarios. Recordings were transcribed and data was analyzed using a thematic analysis (NVivo). Major themes identified in this study were safety, price and usability. Healthcare professionals focused on both functional capabilities of the user, as well as behavioral aspects of usability and attitude toward technology. Furthermore, the need for assistive technology that were catered toward the limitations in activity and user experience, was highlighted extensively. Based on information gathered from healthcare professionals a user-centered approach in development of safe, low-cost devices that maximize both functional outcomes and user acceptance, could potentially increase the adoption of new technology in rehabilitation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)51-59
Number of pages9
JournalAssistive Technology
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
R.D. is a research fellow funded by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The authors declare no further potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 RESNA.

Copyright:
Copyright 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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