The Use of Extended Reality in Rehabilitation for Patients with Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Extended reality (XR) seems promising for rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury in terms of reducing professional supervision, faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, and reduced expenses. Since there is no overview this scoping review describes how XR can be utilized in rehabilitation, particularly for people with acquired brain injury (ABI). METHODS: The Arksey and O'Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR reporting guideline were followed. Studies between 2010 and May 2022 screened from healthcare as well as technical databases were imported in RAYYAN. Three researchers selected relevant articles in three rounds based on title, abstract and full text. RESULTS: 75 articles were included in this scoping review. Most studies used VR as technology with therapy objectives in three main categories: cognitive, physical and diagnostic. The outcomes of the studies show potential and promising results of the use of XR, and enthusiasm with as well patients as professionals. A selection of four domains of the NASSS framework: condition, technology, value proposition and adopters were reported. Important lessons learned by the included studies are development of XR software, improvement of the hardware, improving feeling of safety and giving support to the patient, and support healthcare professionals for acceptance of XR. DISCUSSION: the use of XR for people with ABI has potential and is promising but not common practice yet. Future research should focus on implementation factors with a diverse and inclusive patient group using service modelling.

Physiotherapists' clinical use and acceptance of a telemonitoring platform during anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation: a prospective clinical study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess physiotherapists' clinical use and acceptance of a novel telemonitoring platform to facilitate the recording of measurements during rehabilitation of patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Additionally, suggestions for platform improvement were explored. METHODS: Physiotherapists from seven Dutch private physiotherapy practices participated in the study. Data were collected through log files, a technology acceptance questionnaire and focus group meetings using the "buy a feature" method. Data regarding platform use and acceptance (7-point/11-point numeric rating scale) were descriptively analysed. Total scores were calculated for the features suggested to improve the platform, based on the priority rating (1 = nice to have, 2 = should have, 3 = must have). RESULTS: Participating physiotherapists (N= 15, mean [SD] age 33.1 [9.1] years) together treated 52 patients during the study period. Platform use by the therapists was generally limited, with the number of log-ins per patient varying from 3 to 73. Overall, therapists' acceptance of the platform was low to moderate, with average (SD) scores ranging from 2.5 (1.1) to 4.9 (1.5) on the 7-point Likert scale. The three most important suggestions for platform improvement were: (1) development of a native app, (2) system interoperability, and (3) flexibility regarding type and frequency of measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Even though health care professionals were involved in the design of the telemonitoring platform, use in routine care was limited. Physiotherapists recognized the relevance of using health technology, but there are still barriers to overcome in order to successfully implement eHealth in routine care.Implications for rehabilitationThe use and acceptance of the telemonitoring platform by physiotherapists for patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was limited.Suggestions made by therapists for platform improvement mainly related to user-friendliness and efficiency of workflow.Novel digital health technology needs to fit into daily routines, be easily accessible and easy to use for the end users.

Introducing ZORA to Children with Severe Physical Disabilities.

The aim of the present study was to explore the potential of a ZORA-robot based intervention in rehabilitation and special education for children with (severe) physical disabilities from the professionals perspective. The qualitative results of this study will be presented. Professionals indicated meaningful application possibilities for ZORA. Overall, ZORA was able to improve motivation, concentration, taking initiative and attention span. Three domains could be identified to be most promising for application of ZORA: (re)learning of movement skills, cognitive skills and communication/social interaction skills.

Robot ZORA in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities: a pilot study.

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of ZORA robot-based interventions in rehabilitation and special education for children with severe physical disabilities. A two-centre explorative pilot study was carried out over a 2.5-month period involving children with severe physical disabilities with a developmental age ranging from 2 to 8 years. Children participated in six sessions with the ZORA robot in individual or in group sessions. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data on aspects of feasibility, usability, barriers and facilitators for the child as well as for the therapist and to obtain an indication of the effects on playfulness and the achievement of goals. In total, 17 children and seven professionals participated in the study. The results of this study show a positive contribution of ZORA in achieving therapy and educational goals. Moreover, sessions with ZORA were indicated as playful. Three main domains were indicated to be the most promising for the application of ZORA: movement skills, communication skills and cognitive skills. Furthermore, ZORA can contribute towards eliciting motivation, concentration, taking initiative and improving attention span of the children. On the basis of the results of the study, it can be concluded that ZORA has potential in therapy and education for children with severe physical disabilities. More research is needed to gain insight into how ZORA can be applied best in rehabilitation and special education.

Can the IROMEC robot support play in children with severe physical disabilities? A pilot study.

The aim of this study was to explore the application of the IROMEC (Interactive social RObotic Mediators as Companions) robot to support play for children with severe physical disabilities in rehabilitation and special education. Within a 2-month pilot study, physically disabled children with a developmental age between 2 and 8 years participated in sessions with the robot. A combination of qualitative and quantitative outcome measures was used to collect data on aspects of feasibility, usability, barriers for the child as well as the therapist and an indication of the effects on playfulness and the achievement of therapeutic and educational goals. A total of 11 children participated in this study (four boys, seven girls). Individually Prioritized Problem Assessment scores indicated a positive effect of the IROMEC robot on the achievement of goals for the children. Professionals did observe meaningful application possibilities, but the lacking adaptability, expandability and technical stability of the robot platform make application in daily care practice impossible. The application of a robot like IROMEC for children with severe physical disabilities seems to be positive and worthwhile, but usability and feasibility aspects are crucial for success.

Robots and ICT to support play in children with severe physical disabilities: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Play is an essential part of children's lives. Children with physical disabilities experience difficulties in play, especially those with severe physical disabilities. With the progress of innovative technology, the possibilities to support play are increasing. The purpose of this literature study is to gain insight into the aims, control options and commercial availability of information and communication technology (ICT) and robots to support play (especially play for the sake of play) in children with severe physical disabilities. METHODS: A systematic literature search in the databases PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE and ERIC was carried out. Titles and abstracts were assessed independently by three reviewers. In addition, studies were selected using Google Scholar, conference proceedings and reference lists. RESULTS: Three main groups of technology for play could be distinguished: robots (n = 8), virtual reality systems (n = 15) and computer systems (n = 4). Besides, ICT and robots developed for specific therapy or educational goals using play-like activities, five of the in total 27 technologies in this study described the aim of "play for play's sake". CONCLUSIONS: Many ICT systems and robots to support play in children with physical disabilities were found. Numerous technologies use play-like activities to achieve therapeutic or educational goals. Robots especially are used for "play for play's sake". Implications for Rehabilitation This study gives insight into the aims, control options and commercial availability for application of robots and ICT to support play in children with severe physical disabilities. This overview can be used in both the fields of rehabilitation and special education to search for new innovative intervention options and it can stimulate them to use these innovative play materials. Especially robots may have great potential in supporting "play for play's sake".

ICT based technology to support play for children with severe physical disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: Play is important for a child's development. Children with severe physical disabilities experience difficulties engaging in play. With the progress of technology the possibilities to support play are increasing. The purpose of this review was to gain insight into the possibilities and availability of ICT based technology to support play in children with severe physical disabilities. METHODS: A systematic literature search within the databases PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE and ERIC was carried out. Three reviewers assessed titles and abstracts independently. Additionally, Google Scholar, conference proceedings and reference lists were used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The included publications reported on 27 different technologies, which can be classified into three main groups; robots, virtual reality systems and computer systems. There are several options that may have great potential in supporting play for this target group.