Perspectives of users for a future interactive wearable system for upper extremity rehabilitation following stroke: a qualitative study.
Chieh-Ling Yang, Rochelle Chui, W Ben Mortenson and 4 others
PMID 37312189WHAT IT FOUND
Therapists and stroke survivors want wearable systems that adapt to each person's specific impairment level and goals.
They prioritized devices that track both the quality and quantity of movement, capturing compensatory trunk motions during functional tasks like dressing or cooking.
Key findings
01Participants emphasized that wearable systems must allow for personalization and customization to address individual impairment levels, rehabilitation goals, and preferences for feedback.
02Users identified the need to capture both the quality and amount of upper extremity movements, including compensatory trunk movements, to monitor progress and adherence outside of therapy sessions.
03Functional activities of daily living, such as feeding, dressing, and cooking, were prioritized over impairment-based movements for practice and tracking.
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
Participants did not see a physical prototype of the future wearable device, which may have limited their ability to provide concrete feedback on design specifics. The therapist sample lacked male participants, which may not represent the broader therapist population, although it reflected the local setting. All participants except one caregiver were from an urban area (Greater Vancouver), limiting the transferability of findings to rural or other contexts. The study explored perceptions of a hypothetical future system, so findings reflect desired features rather than the performance or usability of existing technology.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that any specific wearable system improves stroke recovery outcomes. This study reports user preferences for a hypothetical device's design features, not clinical efficacy data.