Perceptions of Existing Wearable Robotic Devices for Upper Extremity and Suggestions for Their Development: Findings From Therapists and People With Stroke.
Ahmed Elnady, W Ben Mortenson, Carlo Menon
PMID 29764799WHAT IT FOUND
People with stroke and therapists had different priorities for upper-limb devices.
Stroke survivors wanted simple, portable assistive tools for daily life to maintain independence. Therapists wanted complex therapeutic devices to complement clinical sessions. Cost and lack of evidence hindered adoption for both groups.
Key findings
01Stroke survivors prioritized portable, simple assistive devices for daily activities, whereas therapists preferred comprehensive therapeutic devices to complement traditional rehabilitation.
02High initial cost and doubts about clinical efficacy were primary barriers to using existing upper-extremity devices for both participants and therapists.
03Stroke survivors feared that relying on assistive devices would compromise their long-term independence and be stigmatizing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 16 participants from a single geographic location, which limits the transferability of the findings to other populations. Some participants dominated the focus group discussions, potentially skewing the reported themes. The researchers acknowledged a potential bias in favor of developing new devices, which may have influenced how they probed for positive features of existing technologies. The study was exploratory and qualitative, so it identifies perceptions and barriers but does not measure the efficacy or cost-effectiveness of any device.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that wearable robotic devices are ineffective or that passive devices are superior. The study reports user perceptions and barriers to adoption, not clinical outcomes or comparative efficacy.