Supporting the Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment using distributed user interfaces

Abstract

Purpose: Improve the quantity and quality of information obtained from traditional Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment Battery systems to monitor the evolution of patients’ rehabilitation process as well as to compare different rehabilitation therapies. Methods: The system replaces traditional artefacts with virtual versions of them to take advantage of cutting edge interaction technology. The system is defined as a Distributed User Interface (DUI) supported by a display ecosystem, including mobile devices as well as multi-touch surfaces. Due to the heterogeneity of the devices involved in the system, the software technology is based on a client-server architecture using the Web as the software platform. Results: The system provides therapists with information that is not available (or it is very difficult to gather) using traditional technologies (i.e. response time measurements, object tracking, information storage and retrieval facilities, etc.). Conclusions: The use of DUIs allows therapists to gather information that is unavailable using traditional assessment methods as well as adapt the system to patients’ profile to increase the range of patients that are able to take this assessment.Implications for RehabilitationUsing a Distributed User Interface environment to carry out LOTCAs improves the quality of the information gathered during the rehabilitation assessment.This system captures physical data regarding patient’s interaction during the assessment to improve the rehabilitation process analysis.Allows professionals to adapt the assessment procedure to create different versions according to patients’ profile.Improves the availability of patients’ profile information to therapists to adapt the assessment procedure.