AssessMent and Counseling to Get the Best Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Assistive TeCHnology

Summary

The best match between any person with disability and the assistive technology (AT) only can be gotten through a complete assessment and a monitoring of the needs, abilities, priorities, difficult and limitations that he/she finds in his/her life. Without this analysis, may be the risk that the AT doesn't adapt to the expectation of the person. Like this, the user, in few time, could abandon the AT device, with the unnecessary spends of resources. Therefore, is important that any project focused in the development of new innovating AT for people with disabilities includes the perspective of outcome measures as an important phase of the research. In this sense, the incorporation of the assessment, implementation process and outcome measures is vital to get the transferability during the whole project and to get the general perspective from the final user.

The protocol presents a project that aims to improve the independence, participation and functional mobility of people with disabilities.

The sample is formed by people with disabilities that will participate from the first stage of the process, with an initial assessment of their abilities and needs, a complete implication during the test of technology, and in the final application of outcome measures instruments.

Only with this perspective and active participation of the users is possible to carry on a user-centered approach. That fact will allow to define and to generate technological solutions that really adjust to the expectations, needs and priorities of the people with disabilities, avoiding that the AT be abandoned, with the consequent health and social spending.

Conditions

• Disability Physical
• Disability, Learning
• Disabling Disease

Interventions

OTHER

Initial Assessment

In this phase the evaluation of the participants will be done, with the application of the instrument presented in outcome measures' section. According to the age of the person, specific questionnaires will be used to gather information more concrete about the skills for mobility. This assessment will allow determining the specific needs, demands and capabilities of participants. The assessment process will be done by professionals of research groups in rooms of collaborators centers.

OTHER

Implementation of assistive technology in the daily life of participants

The professionals of collaborator centers, supported by the research groups, will carry on the training in the use of AT by the participants, facilitating its incorporation during the performance of activities of daily living.

OTHER

Application of outcome measures

After the process of implementation of AT (the next 2 and 6 months), members of the research group and the professionals of collaborators centers will apply the measurement instruments to determine the possible improvements in the level of functional independence (FIM scale) of people with disabilities, the impact that the AT has had on their lifes (PIADS scale) and the level of matching between person and AT (ATD PA - MPT model).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alcala

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Seville

  collaborator OTHER

• Universidade da Coruña

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Salvador Naya Fernández, PhD · Universidade da Coruña

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

24 Months

Max Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-07-15

Primary Completion

2022-09-15

Completion

2023-05-31

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations