Acceptability and usability of assistive equipment and technology by individuals with multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study with occupational therapists.
Courtney Barnett, Angela Murphy, Daniel Cezar da Cruz
PMID 40336758WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists working with MS linked acceptance of assistive equipment to cognition, emotional meaning and trying equipment in valued tasks.
They said acceptance could depend on the equipment helping a valued activity, graded trials and listening.
Key findings
01Occupational therapists perceived cognitive difficulties as a bigger barrier to accepting and using assistive equipment than physical limitations.
02Occupational therapists linked acceptance to the emotional meaning of equipment, including signals of disability and progression.
03Occupational therapists linked acceptance to experiencing equipment in a valued task.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only occupational therapists were interviewed, so people with MS did not describe their own experiences. The findings are perceptions and recollections, which may include assumptions rather than specific conversations. The sample was small and purposive, so transferability was difficult to determine. The study did not test whether any strategy improved acceptance or usability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that these strategies improve acceptance or usability. It reports occupational therapists' perceptions, not patient outcomes or tested interventions.