Exploring the Potential of Generative AI in DIY Assistive Technology Design by Occupational Therapists

History, Current Practice, and the Future of Wound Care for Occupational and Physical Therapists.

Advancements in personal fabrication technologies (e.g. 3D printing) resulted in a rising interest in 'do-it-yourself assistive technology' (DIY AT). Clinical knowledge is considered fundamental for DIY AT design, but research into making DIY AT by clinicians is limited. In this paper, we explore occupational therapists' attitudes towards 3D printing both before and after gaining hands-on experience with 3D modelling software. In addition, as clinicians indicate to prefer collaborations with experienced designers, we organized a codesign study with occupational therapists and professional designers to conceptualize a feasible collaborative DIY-AT design process. The results of our studies show an overall enthusiasm of occupational therapists towards 3D printing, but the perceived impact of 3D printing on their job performance decreased after gaining hands-on experience. Collaborating with designers seems a viable way forward. We propose a model for a collaborative design process, highlighting different phases and the roles that occupational therapists and designers play.

Purpose Occupational therapists are crucial in providing assistive technology (AT) services for older adults. However, evidence has shown limited provision of such services in Thailand. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the implementation of AT services for older adults from the perspectives of Thai occupational therapists. Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was guided by the measurement instrument for determinants of innovations and literature review. This study was conducted in two phases: quantitative and qualitative. During the quantitative phase, an adapted version of the Measurement Instrument for Determinants of Innovations was administered to 96 occupational therapists (OTs). A subsample of 5 OTs completed a semi-structured interview during the qualitative phase to explain the findings in the quantitative one. Results Factors were categorized into three sections: personal, organizational and socio-political context levels. At the personal level, integrating knowledge and experience could contribute to awareness and professional competency. Client satisfaction influenced OTs to utilize AT, based on a client centred manner. With coordinator and performance feedback within the organization, OTs indicated that consultants supported them in their decision-making. In contrast, availability of AT for older adults is determined by time and resources. Moreover, at the socio-political context level, legislation and regulations may permit or prohibit accessibility of assistive devices. Conclusion In order to address current challenges, education or training programmes are needed to increase the awareness and competence of OTs. In addition, collaboration with other professionals in community settings is necessary to improve access to AT services. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION AT service for older adults is limited by the availability of time and resources. To handle with these challenges, occupational therapists could advocate for village health volunteers to be a part of the AT services for older adults in the community to increase AT accessibility for older adults. Additional education or training programs should be developed to build competencies and increase occupational therapists’ awareness of providing AT services to older adults, as well as to strengthen their roles in AT services. Future research and health policies should focus on access to sufficient funding, and resources for occupational therapists relative to their role in implementing AT services.

Occupational therapists (OTs) suggest or prescribe assistive technologies (AT) for use by a particular patient. OTs often need to modify, refine, or repurpose existing, off-the-shelf ATs in order to better address the specific health-related conditions, needs, and abilities of their patients. These practices typically involve piecemeal modification of ATs and various improvisational methods that use found objects and everyday materials at hand. In this study, we investigated the current practices of AT adaptation by conducting semi-structured interviews with expert OTs (N=10), studying examples of AT adaptation made by OTs (N=17) as well as collected AT samples from secondary resources (N=80) to further analyze OTs’ improvisational processes. This research contributes to the HCI research community by (a) providing/extending comprehensive knowledge about the current challenges and processes of AT adaptation by OTs based on recurring themes and categories, and (b) proposing guidelines and recommendations for clinical computer-aided design (CAD) software tools that support OTs in AT adaptation.

Commemorative Editorial: The Legacy of Franklin Stein, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA.

Purpose: One of the many difficulties a person with dementia can experience is difficulty with way finding and subsequently getting lost in the community. Prescriptions of assistive technology are a key role for occupational therapists. This study aimed to describe the attitudes and practices of occupational therapists in recommending and using assistive technology for persons with dementia who have difficulties with way finding in the community.Methods: An online survey was distributed to members of Occupational Therapy Australia NSW and included 25 items on demographics, frequency of use of assistive technology and assessment.Results: A total of 85 occupational therapists responded to the survey. Significant differences were identified in the approaches used, the types of assistive technology used and the evaluation of outcomes, between community-based and hospital-based occupational therapists. Over half of the participants had never prescribed any of the assistive devices listed in the survey for people with dementia. The most frequently prescribed assistive devices were low-tech items that were already freely available to carers and other professions.Conclusion: Therapists used a conservative approach to problem solving with their clients with dementia. There is a limited understanding from occupational therapists about available interventions for people with dementia.Implications for RehabilitationThere is limited awareness on how assistive technology might be used to support occupational performance for persons with dementia.This survey suggests that occupational therapists experience barriers in identifying and providing appropriate assistive technology for this group.Access to targeted education and online resources for occupational therapists is recommended to provide better awareness of the types of assistive technology available to assist persons with dementia and their caregivers.

Missing from the recent literature is information about specific categories of assistive technology (AT) education provided in entry-level occupational therapy curricula. To examine occupational therapists' perceptions of the AT education received in occupational therapy entry-level programs, specifically the AT categories in which therapists received training. Quantitative survey study with Likert-scale, multiple-choice, or ordinal ranking-scale questions and three open-response questions. Format was a web-based Qualtrics survey tool; participants had approximately 2 mo to respond. Occupational therapists certified as Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs) were recruited through the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America email database (response rate of 21%; N = 148). Outcomes may contribute to determining what categories of AT are missing from occupational therapy entry-level curricula and what further education is needed to develop competency. Occupational therapists with ATP certification did not perceive their entry-level curricula as having adequately prepared them in the AT categories of technology for learning disabilities (67%), computer access (57%), augmentative and alternative communication (57%), and accessible transportation (52%). This study supports the need for occupational therapy entry-level programs to reexamine the categories and amount of AT training they currently provide. Future research with a larger and more generalized sample could provide more detailed evidence of which AT categories should be provided. This article provides evidence that to use AT in intervention, entry-level occupational therapists require increased training in specific AT categories.

This chapter explains enabling activities and participation using assistive technology (AT) from an occupational therapy perspective. This perspective is based on facilitating people to do the things they want and need to do. Occupational therapy is complex owing to the need to consider a wide range of roles, activities, environments, and contexts for each person and their AT. Occupational therapy aims to achieve a person–environment–occupation fit, which may be achieved through skill acquisition, education, environment adaptation, and/or activity redesign in conjunction with AT. The AT process involves four steps (stages/phases) imagining possibilities, seeking information, choosing the best option, and living successfully with AT. The occupational therapist's role is to actively involve the person in all stages of this process. This process has been illustrated using two case studies. The occupational therapist using a person–environment–occupation lens and breadth of knowledge across AT devices is well placed to partner with people to attain optimal AT solutions.

These days it is hard to identify occupations or daily activities that have not been shaped by the use or non-use of digital technology. Identified as part of the digital revolution or the Industrial Revolution 4.0, digital technology has moved from expensive and specialised, to ubiquitous and widely accepted. This has important implications for occupational therapists (Liu, 2018). Keeping up with the contributions of, and needs related to, digital technology has seen new roles and responsibilities for occupational therapists. An emerging role, for example, is in the design and evaluation of mainstream technologies (Proffitt et al., 2019). Occupational therapists and users with disabilities work in companies creating gaming, rehabilitation and health-related digital technologies (Proffitt et al., 2019). There are calls for engaging occupational therapists in the creation of accessible options to promote working remotely, inclusive health and social networks, transportation systems and communities (e.g. Anzai et al., 2023; Field et al., 2021; Slegers et al., 2020). The role for ensuring we support people in adjusting to requirements to use technologies and as technologies change has also been noted (Liddle, Worthy, Frost, Taylor, Taylor, et al., 2022). The lack of consideration of all potential users in the development of current mainstream technologies and in datasets that fuel automated systems and artificial intelligence has led to concerns about technology-related exclusion (Langston, 2020; Proffitt et al., 2019). The human rights implications of accessibility and potential exclusion in emerging technologies are of international concern (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2021). Vitally, occupational therapists need to be aware of and consider the digital divide in their practice. The digital divide, captured locally by the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (Thomas et al., 2021), describes how technology availability, accessibility, support, cost and confidence are leading to the increasing exclusion of some groups within Australia. Against a trend of increasing digital inclusion, a substantial number of Australians remain highly excluded, with over one in four Australians experiencing digital exclusion. Those at risk of digital exclusion include people with lower incomes, those living in regional and remote areas, those with lower levels of education, older people and those living with a disability. While the pandemic has shifted many activities into digital spaces, its impact on digital inclusion was not experienced consistently across the population. Those people not successfully engaging with technology were further excluded from participation. People working to reduce the digital divide identify the need to particularly address digital skill building, digital health literacy and technology during disasters and crises, and community led ways of building skill and capacity (Good Things Foundation., 2022). In moving towards an inclusive future, it is essential that occupational therapists support the creation, adaptation and use of meaningful and accessible technologies. One important avenue towards this is through the codesign of technologies and associated services and supports. Partnering with technology users (or potential users) to create more accessible and acceptable options, and recognising the expertise of assistive technology users as a vital resource will support more inclusion (Layton et al., 2021; Liddle, Worthy, Frost, Taylor, & Taylor, 2022; Ong et al., 2023). Occupational therapists can develop and support participatory and inclusive ways of working with people and technologies. It is important that occupational therapists directly address the potential for technology to impact on occupational justice and health (Larsson-Lund & Nyman, 2020). This needs to include advocating for more inclusive technologies, ways of working, infrastructure, technology funding and supports.

Previous research found that occupational therapy practitioners desired more training in assistive technology. This study provides further evidence on which assistive technology categories should be included in the education of occupational therapists in the United States, based on the practice setting. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and were included if they were certified occupational therapists practicing in the United States. A quantitative survey method was utilized, and 392 participant responses were captured through Likert-scale, multiple-choice, and ordinal ranking-scale questions. Of the 12 settings included in the study, eight practice settings reported that wheelchair seating and mobility were the most used assistive technology. Regarding the remaining four practice settings, occupational therapists working in early intervention with children aged 0–3 years reported using communication devices; outpatient hand therapy reported home modifications; mental health professionals reported using cognitive aids; and occupational therapists in the school setting reported using technology for learning disabilities. All participants reported that assistive technology is used “sometimes” to “always,” regardless of setting. The need for occupational therapists to have an established knowledge base in assistive technology is crucial. This study highlights the association between the practice setting and the use and frequency of assistive technology.

Informal caregivers have valuable insights that occupational therapists can use to prevent and manage problems that may arise in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) because of a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition. To assess caregiver-identified facilitators of weight management in people with SCI. Descriptive qualitative design using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis. Regional SCI Care Model System and Veterans Health Administration. Informal caregivers (n = 24) of people with SCI. Facilitators of successful weight management in care recipients with SCI. Four themes were identified as weight management facilitators: healthy eating (subthemes: food content, self-control, self-management, and healthy preinjury lifestyle), exercise and therapy (subthemes: occupational and physical therapy, receiving assistance, and resources for exercise), accessibility, and leisure activity or activities of daily living, the latter described as a source of activity (because of required energy expenditure) to facilitate weight management for people with more severe injuries. These findings can inform the development of successful weight management plans by occupational therapists by incorporating feedback from informal caregivers. Because caregivers are involved in many of the facilitators identified, occupational therapists should communicate with the dyad about sourcing accessible places to increase physical activity and assessing in-person assistance and assistive technology needs to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Occupational therapists can use informal caregiver-identified facilitators of weight management to help prevent and manage problems for people with SCI secondary to limited activity and poor nutrition. What This Article Adds: Occupational therapy practitioners provide therapeutic intervention to people with SCI; this includes attention to weight management from the time of initial injury throughout their lives. This article is novel in the presentation of informal caregivers' perceptions about successful facilitators of weight management among people with SCI, which is important because caregivers are intimately involved in the daily activities of people with SCI and can be a liaison for occupational therapists and other health care providers about ways to facilitate healthy eating and physical activity.

Objectives Assistive technology plays a significant role in occupational therapy practice. Understanding occupational therapists’ perspectives on the use of assistive technology is essential for enhancing clinical applications and promoting effective interventions. The aim of this study was to examine occupational therapists’ perceptions of assistive technologies and their experiences of using these technologies in clinical practice. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis, following an inductive approach. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with occupational therapists, both in-person and online, based on a pre-developed interview guide. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: clinical practice, professional competence, organizational constraints, and recommendations for improvement. The most frequently used and recommended assistive technology devices were those that supported activities of daily living. Participants emphasized accessibility as a key consideration when selecting and prescribing assistive technology. Moreover, several participants highlighted the absence of standardized guidelines to support the use of assistive technology in occupational therapy. Impact These results suggest that improving professional education, developing evidence-based protocols and addressing systemic barriers can strengthen the integration of assistive technology into occupational therapy practice. Implications for rehabilitation Occupational therapists should receive more training on assistive technologies so that these technologies can be used effectively in clinical practice. The lack of standardized guidelines for the use of assistive technologies leads to inconsistencies in therapists’ choice of devices. Therefore, it is important to develop these guidelines. Accessibility issues and organizational barriers limit the effective use of assistive technologies. Overcoming these barriers can increase the efficiency of therapy processes.

Occupational therapists (OTs) play a significant role in assistive technology (AT) services. The personal perspective of OTs could affect the provision of AT services. Understanding the relationship between the perspectives of OTs and the provision of AT services to older adult clients is crucial to this study. The study was conducted in the form of rapid narrative analysis. Seven articles of four categories were found and analyzed. The categories are perspective on practice, facilitators, barriers, and needs. OTs provide AT services to older adult clients as part of a person-centred care approach; however, limited follow-up care, timing, and awareness were cited as barriers to AT services delivery. Caregiver involvement is a potential factor for AT services delivery. Although, education and training on the use of the AT are required. It’s important to note that, there is no relevant data from low and middle-income countries.

Assistive Technology (AT) and Rehabilitation engineering are the systematic application of scientific and engineering principles to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Through the providing of enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish tasks that were formerly impossible or difficult to achieved, AT promotes independence through the use of assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices and the appropriate process used in selecting, locating, and using them. An AT device can be loosely defined as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities". It has been long observed and reported that the use of AT devices by people with disabilities has increase vocational and independent living opportunities. The people working in this traditionally neglected field are generally known as AT practitioners, Therapists (Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Speech Language Pathologists, etc.), Rehab Technologists, and/or Rehabilitation Engineers. These professionals have long provided AT to people with disabilities, playing a vital role in the removal of barriers toward employability and independent living, and enhanced the employability, education, communication, daily functioning, and recreational activities of people with disabilities. The importance of AT and Rehabilitation Engineering are well recognized and undeniable. Consulting with international and regional experts/professionals, there are common consensus that Asia lacks a professional platform in the field of Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology to provide information exchanges, knowledge-sharing, networking, publications of researches, and professional interactions, etc. It is with these goals of providing a comprehensive, international convention, where all technologies across all ages; disabilities; levels of education and training; employment; and independent living can be addressed, the inaugural international Convention for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology (i-CREATe) has been initiated. i-CREATe is currently being reviewed as one of the signatory to the Tokushima Agreement and i-CREATe has been accepted as the sister conference by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA); RESNA is also the Technical Sponsor for i-CREATe 2007. The Singapore Therapeutic, Assistive & Rehabilitative Technologies Centre also known as START Centre, and the Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), are the two main organizations that are jointly organizing i-CREATe 2007. This event is managed by the SingEx Group (Singex Exhibitions Pte. Ltd.). The event will be held at the Singapore National Library Board Building, and the Hotel Intercontinental, from 23rd --- 26th April 2007. The inaugural i-CREATe 2007 will be formally launched by Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Kingdom of Thailand, and Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Republic of Singapore, on 24th April 2007. This is the first joint efforts by the two countries to promote Assistive Technology for people with disabilities in Southeast Asia. i-CREATe 2007 aims to provide a, previously lacking, platform for technical exchanges and exhibitions on the advanced technologies, equipments, techniques and materials applied in the field of Assistive & Rehabilitative Technology. This platform is meant for rehabilitation and education professionals working with or implementing use of Assistive Technology including Suppliers, Technologists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Rehabilitation Engineers, Educators, End-users, Caregivers, Governmental Officials, Policy Planning Staffs, Researchers, and Academicians, and others interested in AT. We have assembled a comprehensive programme of 1 keynote session, 4 plenary sessions, 12 workshops, and 60 paper presentations from over 13 countries and regions covering the major topics of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. We trust that i-CREATe 2007 will provide you with excellent opportunities to network and to acquire new knowledge in the field of AT and Rehabilitation Engineering.

Background: There is lack of knowledge on how occupational therapists (OTs) assess daily time management (DTM) for persons with dementia (PwDs) and on which aspects affect prescription of time assistive technology (AT).Aim: To explore OTs’ experiences of assessing the need for and prescribing time AT for PwDs.Material and methods: Focus group interviews with OTs that prescribe time AT for PwDs analyzed via qualitative content analysis.Results: A main category and four categories were identified. The categories illustrated a complex and time-consuming prescription process, which was facilitated if the PwD was supported by a significant other (SO). Support from a SO was especially important during implementation and follow-up. OTs had to take individual responsibility for staying informed about time AT. Organizational limitations and time constraints were barriers for OTs striving to work according to national prescription guidelines.Conclusions and significance: High demands are made on SO’s participation during the prescription process. PwDs with no support from SOs are at risk not receiving or fully benefitting from time AT. To avoid inequalities, specific forms of support need to be developed and targeted at PwDs without SOs to ensure that they have sufficient opportunities to access and use time AT.