Information and communication technology used by people with lower limb loss in Slovenia.
Mojca Debeljak, Gaj Vidmar, Zlatko Matjačić and 1 others
PMID 32106175WHAT IT FOUND
Older age was the clearest factor linked to less technology use among people with lower limb loss.
Smartwatches and activity trackers were rare, while mobile phones, radio, television, and health monitors were common.
Key findings
01Older age was strongly linked to less technology use, and age was especially relevant for regular internet use.
02People with amputation due to peripheral vascular disease were more likely to have and use a personal computer or tablet computer, and to use social networks, instant messaging, email, or regular internet, than people with amputation due to diabetes.
03Smartwatch ownership was limited to one responder, activity tracker ownership and regular use to three responders, and health monitors were regularly used by 20 of 40 participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 40 of 296 contacted people returned usable questionnaires, so the responders may not represent all people with lower limb loss in that service. The sample was mostly men, with 35 of 40 participants male. The study had many predictors for a small sample, so the analysis had to be simplified and may not capture all relevant factors. The paper reports associations, not whether technology use caused better independence or whether an intervention worked. Smartwatch and activity tracker use was too rare for meaningful inference.
Declared interests
The study was conducted as part of a European Union research and innovation programme project called SAAM. No separate conflict-of-interest declaration is reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that smart-home or wearable technology improves independence for older adults with lower limb loss. The study only surveyed technology ownership and use, and it did not test any intervention. The response rate was small, so it may not represent all people with lower limb loss.