Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale in a Large Sample of People With Neuromuscular, Neurological, or Hearing Disabilities.

Emiliano Díez,Estíbaliz Jiménez-Arberas,Thais Pousada

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659562

Abstract

Assistive technology (AT) is any device, software, or equipment designed for and used by individuals with disabilities to engage in everyday activities and achieve independence. However, the usefulness of those technology-based or supported treatments is a complex issue that has led to the development of various conceptual models for assistive technology outcomes research and practice as well as different assessment tools that help to explore the effect of technology on people's lives. One of those instruments is the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Device Scale (PIADS), a 26-item questionnaire that measures the psychosocial impact of interventions, using assistive devices in three quality-of-life domains: competence, adaptability, and self-esteem. PIADS scale has been translated and adapted to several languages, and it has been successfully used to measure AT outcomes in different disability profiles to predict abandonment or even as a relevant determinant of future adoption of eHealth. Quinteiro (2010) adapted PIADS to Spanish for the first time, although no studies have yet been published to systematically study its psychometric properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate measurement properties of the Spanish version of PIADS scale by means of a dataset obtained from its application to a large sample (n = 417) of people with neuromuscular, neurological, or hearing disabilities that used different assistive devices. The results will provide valuable indicators about the measurement quality of the Spanish PIADS scale and will help to promote the use of reliable and valid AT outcome assessment tools for research and clinical purposes.

Highlights

According to ISO:9999:2016 and UNE-ISO 9999:2017, assistive technology (AT) is “any product, especially manufactured or commercially available, used by or for persons with disabilities to facilitate participation; protect, support, train, measure or substitute body functions and/or structures and activities; and prevent impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions.” Examples of assistive devices and technologies include a variety of products as wheelchairs, prostheses, hearing aids, visual aids, communication systems, low-tech devices, and specialized software and hardware that increase mobility, hearing, vision, cognition, or communication skills, among others
Descriptive results showed (Table 2) that the psychosocial impact of assistive devices perceived by the participants was mainly positive, with positive mean scores for the three subscales
The need for standardized methods for the follow-up of individual interventions with AT, especially through outcome measures that show good metric properties, motivated the exploration of the factorial structure and internal consistency of the Spanish Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Device Scale (PIADS) scale based on data from its application to a large sample of participants, using different assistive devices

Summary

Introduction

According to ISO:9999:2016 and UNE-ISO 9999:2017, assistive technology (AT) is “any product (including devices, equipment, instruments, and software), especially manufactured or commercially available, used by or for persons with disabilities to facilitate participation; protect, support, train, measure or substitute body functions and/or structures and activities; and prevent impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions.” Examples of assistive devices and technologies include a variety of products as wheelchairs, prostheses, hearing aids, visual aids, communication systems, low-tech devices, and specialized software and hardware that increase mobility, hearing, vision, cognition, or communication skills, among others. According to ISO:9999:2016 and UNE-ISO 9999:2017, assistive technology (AT) is “any product (including devices, equipment, instruments, and software), especially manufactured or commercially available, used by or for persons with disabilities to facilitate participation; protect, support, train, measure or substitute body functions and/or structures and activities; and prevent impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions.”. Assistive devices and technologies have the primary purpose of maintaining or improving the functioning and independence of a person and, are tools that promote participation and increase the health and well-being of individual users and their families. They can help prevent impairments and secondary health conditions. The Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) describes that today, only 5–15% of the population that need an assistive technology have access to it, with the problem being much more serious in low- and middle-income countries (World Health Organization, 2020)

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