Abstract
BackgroundUsing technology in stroke rehabilitation is attractive. Devices such as robots or smartphones can help deliver evidence-based levels of practice intensity and automated feedback without additional labor costs. Currently, however, few technologies have been adopted into everyday rehabilitation.ObjectiveThis project aimed to identify stakeholder (therapists, patients, and caregivers) priorities for stroke rehabilitation technologies and to generate user-centered solutions for enhancing everyday adoption.MethodsWe invited stakeholders (n=60), comprising stroke survivors (20/60, 33%), therapists (20/60, 33%), caregivers, and technology developers (including researchers; 20/60, 33%), to attend 2 facilitated workshops. Workshop 1 was preceded by a national survey of stroke survivors and therapists (n=177) to generate an initial list of priorities. The subsequent workshop focused on identifying practical solutions to enhance adoption.ResultsA total of 25 priorities were generated from the survey; these were reduced to 10 nonranked priorities through discussion, consensus activities, and voting at Workshop 1: access to technologies, ease of use, awareness of available technologies, technologies focused on function, supports self-management, user training, evidence of effectiveness, value for money, knowledgeable staff, and performance feedback. The second workshop provided recommendations for improving the adoption of technologies in stroke rehabilitation: an annual exhibition of commercially available and developing technologies, an online consumer-rating website of available technologies, and a user network to inspire and test new technologies.ConclusionsThe key outcomes from this series of stakeholder workshops provides a starting point for an integrated approach to promoting greater adoption of technologies in stroke rehabilitation. Bringing technology developers and users together to shape future and evaluate current technologies is critical to achieving evidence-based stroke rehabilitation.
Highlights
BackgroundStroke has been a priority for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland for the last 15 years
Surveys were sent to stroke survivors, caregivers, and rehabilitation professionals working in stroke to generate a long list of priorities from the broad community
Our study aimed to identify user priorities for rehabilitation technology and user-centered solutions to enhance the everyday adoption of these technologies by users: therapists, patients, and caregivers
Summary
BackgroundStroke has been a priority for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland for the last 15 years. There has been a 21% decrease in incidence and a 41% improvement in survival rates [1] These figures represent an enormous success for public health and acute care but have created a new challenge: to provide rehabilitation and care to the increasing number of survivors, currently estimated at 117,500 in Scotland [2]. This challenge is not confined to Scotland; worldwide, an estimated 15 million people suffer from stroke every year, a third of whom are estimated to be left with persistent disability [3]. Objective: This project aimed to identify stakeholder (therapists, patients, and caregivers) priorities for stroke rehabilitation technologies and to generate user-centered solutions for enhancing everyday adoption. Bringing technology developers and users together to shape future and evaluate current technologies is critical to achieving evidence-based stroke rehabilitation
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