JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Strokes pose a substantial health burden, impacting one in six people globally. One-tenth of patients will endure a second, often more severe, stroke within a year. Alarmingly, a younger demographic is being affected due to recent lifestyle changes. As fine motor and cognitive issues arise, patient disability, as well as the strain on caregivers and healthcare resources, is exacerbated. Contemporary occupational therapy assesses manual dexterity and cognitive functions through object manipulation and pen-and-paper recordings. However, these assessments are typically isolated, making it challenging for therapists to comprehensively evaluate specific patient conditions. Furthermore, the reliance on one-on-one training and assessment approaches with manual documentation is inefficient and prone to transcription errors.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to validate the feasibility of applying an interactive electronic pegboard for stroke rehabilitation in clinical contexts.

Methods:

Functional and task testing, as well as questionnaire interviews, revealed that stroke patients exhibited prolonged completion times and slightly inferior performance. Nonetheless, most patients perceived the prototype as user-friendly and engaging.

Results:

In this study, a total of ten stroke patients and ten healthy elderly individuals were recruited. The developed pegboard could potentially serve as a valuable tool for hand function, attention, and cognitive rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

The study demonstrates its potential in mitigating healthcare workforce burdens for clinical and rehabilitation patients.