JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

How to design digital technologies that support rehabilitation at home has been a topic of research for some time, and rehabilitation from stroke and other forms of brain injury has been a long-standing focus. If technology is to have a large-scale impact on rehabilitation practice, then we need to understand how to design and select technologies that are appropriate for the domestic environment, and for the needs and motivations of those living there. We also need to understand how to support their uptake and safe and effective use.

Objective:

To present knowledge which sensitizes those engaging in technology design, research or deployment work to a range of human factors which have not been considered in sufficient detail in the existing literature, and which might impact on the successful uptake of rehabilitation technologies.

Methods:

A corpus of mostly qualitative data providing insight into rehabilitation technologies and the home environment was collected through research activities conducted as part of “Motivating Mobility: Interactive Systems to promote Physical Activity and Leisure for people with limited mobility” (UK EPSRC: EP/F00382X/1). These included sensitizing studies, participatory design sessions and experimental deployments of prototype rehabilitation technologies. Working within an approach known as Research through Design, previously articulated by Zimmerman et al [1], and currently of interest to the health services research community, a set of five “sensitizing concepts” have been derived, and justified through a narrative presenting underpinning items of data. Our application of the term “sensitizing concept” draws on Blumer [2], which has been influential in the sociological literature.

Results:

We present, justify and discuss five sensitizing concepts, selected for their relevance to rehabilitation technology deployment: • Stroke can have a profound impact on emotional responses to the home • Finding an appropriate place for technology in the home can be difficult • Social interaction can profoundly shape experiences with rehabilitation technology • Stroke can disrupt domestic roles and organisation • Interventions from professionals may be necessary for patient safety

Conclusions:

A better understanding of how to map the homes of brain injury survivors is needed. If brain injury rehabilitation technologies are to become part of the large scale practice, then we need to understand the required human competencies to deploy and support safe and effective usage Clinical Trial: Not Applicable