IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGIES INTO GLOBAL STROKE REHABILITATION: WHY, WHAT AND HOW?
R. Stockley1, J.M. Solomon2, M.-L. Bird3, B. Sakakibara4
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
1University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom, 2Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Physiotherapy, Manipal, India, 3University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia, 4University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Learning objective 1: To explore the current research evidence and discuss the key considerations and challenges when deciding to use technologies in physiotherapy for people living with stroke
Learning objective 2: To discuss clinician training, knowledge and skills of different rehabilitation technologies across low to high income settings
Learning objective 3: To critically consider the factors that will influence the successful and sustained adoption of innovative digital health technologies so that they can positively impact clinical practice
Description: Digital health technologies are changing the face of physiotherapy and rehabilitation and have the potential to transform outcomes for our patients. Thousands of new digital health technologies come to market each week, presenting physiotherapists with a bewildering array of choice. Consequently, selecting and sustainably implementing digital technologies into healthcare is often difficult and many technologies are abandoned shortly after their introduction1 despite their ability to provide wide ranging benefits that cannot be easily be replicated in usual care (e.g. virtual reality training and telehealth2,3). This results in waste and missed opportunities for patients to improve.
This session will explore technological innovations in stroke rehabilitation. It aims to equip attendees with the insight, knowledge and skills to enable them to judiciously select and sustainably use technologies in their practice.
The Chair (Rachel Stockley) will begin this symposium by providing a critical overview of established and emerging technologies for stroke rehabilitation, considering current use and posing some key questions physiotherapists should ask before investing in a new technology. These questions centre around the value that the technology can provide, how to judge worth and matching the suitability of the technology to the needs of the patient. John Solomon will then explore the use of low-cost technologies in low-and middle-income countries, discussing the current practices, knowledge and skill of physiotherapists needed to use technologies in this setting4. He will also identify the key competencies required in the training of physiotherapists for implementing technology-based rehabilitation. It is long recognised that equipping and supporting physiotherapists with the right skills to support innovation is vital and the third speaker, Marie-Louise Bird, will describe the development and outputs of an Australian community of practice for using technology in rehabilitation5. This will focus on supporting clinicians in the implementation process and was based on a collaboration which harnessed expertise around the country to support implementation of alternative methods of service delivery during ongoing governmental restrictions due to the COVID 19 pandemic. She will identify challenges and the resources developed to overcome them and share strategies to enable physiotherapists to benefit from communities of practice. The final speaker, Brodie Sakakibara, will provide a patient focus by discussing innovative uses of technology for stroke recovery from a Canadian context6. He will focus on self-management initiatives that extend the rehabilitation continuum into the community, as well as best-practice collaborative recommendations for virtual rehabilitation. The session will close with a brief summary of the key take home messages led by the chair and a 10 minute interactive panel discussion with the attendees in which they will be encouraged to present the panel with real-world challenges and to share positive examples of digital innovation in their practice.
This session will explore technological innovations in stroke rehabilitation. It aims to equip attendees with the insight, knowledge and skills to enable them to judiciously select and sustainably use technologies in their practice.
The Chair (Rachel Stockley) will begin this symposium by providing a critical overview of established and emerging technologies for stroke rehabilitation, considering current use and posing some key questions physiotherapists should ask before investing in a new technology. These questions centre around the value that the technology can provide, how to judge worth and matching the suitability of the technology to the needs of the patient. John Solomon will then explore the use of low-cost technologies in low-and middle-income countries, discussing the current practices, knowledge and skill of physiotherapists needed to use technologies in this setting4. He will also identify the key competencies required in the training of physiotherapists for implementing technology-based rehabilitation. It is long recognised that equipping and supporting physiotherapists with the right skills to support innovation is vital and the third speaker, Marie-Louise Bird, will describe the development and outputs of an Australian community of practice for using technology in rehabilitation5. This will focus on supporting clinicians in the implementation process and was based on a collaboration which harnessed expertise around the country to support implementation of alternative methods of service delivery during ongoing governmental restrictions due to the COVID 19 pandemic. She will identify challenges and the resources developed to overcome them and share strategies to enable physiotherapists to benefit from communities of practice. The final speaker, Brodie Sakakibara, will provide a patient focus by discussing innovative uses of technology for stroke recovery from a Canadian context6. He will focus on self-management initiatives that extend the rehabilitation continuum into the community, as well as best-practice collaborative recommendations for virtual rehabilitation. The session will close with a brief summary of the key take home messages led by the chair and a 10 minute interactive panel discussion with the attendees in which they will be encouraged to present the panel with real-world challenges and to share positive examples of digital innovation in their practice.
Implications and conclusions: It is vital that physiotherapists are skilled in selecting and using technologies as part of their practice so that patients can benefit from their use.This symposium will provide attendees with the knowledge to make informed choices about technologies and the techniques required to successfully and sustainably integrate technologies into practice.
Keywords: 1. Technology 2. Implementation 3. Stroke
References: 1. Greenhalgh T, Swinglehurst D, Stones R. Rethinking resistance to ‘big IT’: a sociological study of why and when healthcare staff do not use nationally mandated information and communication technologies. Health Services and Delivery Research 2014; 2: 1–86.
2. Krakauer JW, Kitago T, Goldsmith J, et al. Comparing a novel neuroanimation experience to conventional therapy for high-dose, intensive upper-limb training in subacute stroke: The SMARTS2 randomized trial. Neurorehabilitatin and Neural Repair 2021:35,5.
3. Mahmood A, Blaizy V, Verma A, et al. Acceptability and Attitude towards a Mobile-Based Home Exercise Program among Stroke Survivors and Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications; 6.
4. Simpson DB, Bird M-L, English C, et al. “Connecting patients and therapists remotely using technology is feasible and facilitates exercise adherence after stroke”. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation 2020; 27: 93–102.
5. Sakakibara BM, Lear SA, Barr SI, et al. Telehealth coaching to improve self-management for secondary prevention after stroke: A randomized controlled trial of Stroke Coach. International Journal of Stroke 2022; 17: 455–464.
2. Krakauer JW, Kitago T, Goldsmith J, et al. Comparing a novel neuroanimation experience to conventional therapy for high-dose, intensive upper-limb training in subacute stroke: The SMARTS2 randomized trial. Neurorehabilitatin and Neural Repair 2021:35,5.
3. Mahmood A, Blaizy V, Verma A, et al. Acceptability and Attitude towards a Mobile-Based Home Exercise Program among Stroke Survivors and Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications; 6.
4. Simpson DB, Bird M-L, English C, et al. “Connecting patients and therapists remotely using technology is feasible and facilitates exercise adherence after stroke”. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation 2020; 27: 93–102.
5. Sakakibara BM, Lear SA, Barr SI, et al. Telehealth coaching to improve self-management for secondary prevention after stroke: A randomized controlled trial of Stroke Coach. International Journal of Stroke 2022; 17: 455–464.
Funding acknowledgements: Dr Rachel C Stockley is funded by a UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowship;
Dr Brodie M Sakakibara is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar.
Dr Brodie M Sakakibara is a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
