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International Journal of Environmental... Oct 2022Active tourism improves human health and well-being regardless of age or disabilities. The paper analyses and describes current issues concerning the tourism of people... (Review)
Review
Active tourism improves human health and well-being regardless of age or disabilities. The paper analyses and describes current issues concerning the tourism of people with disabilities. The starting point is the currently insufficient availability of tourist offers for individuals with considerable motor dysfunctions. One of the causes for these limitations stems from deficiencies in transport means for people with disabilities. It was found that for a disabled passenger using public transport, it is crucial to consider its accessibility in the context of the entire transport system. Another cause is the limited popularity of innovative, atypical assistive equipment for people with disabilities. Those insights point out that novel assistive technologies need to be developed, as it is necessary to more effectively support the activity of people with disabilities in all areas of life, including tourism, as this enhances their social rehabilitation. This paper indicates the needs and describes and analyses examples of own original, innovative devices supporting the areas mentioned above of activity for people with disabilities. These analyses resulted in developing an algorithm to design innovative equipment, considerably expanding the tourism potential of people with motor disabilities. This design process focuses on the needs of people with disabilities and facilitates the development of novel classes of assistive technologies, thus promoting new areas of activity for all.
Topics: Humans; Tourism; Self-Help Devices; Disabled Persons
PubMed: 36361066
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114186 -
BMJ Open Dec 2022Access to assistive technologies (ATs) is a human right for people with disabilities, but there are a range of barriers, including lack of adequate information. This... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Access to assistive technologies (ATs) is a human right for people with disabilities, but there are a range of barriers, including lack of adequate information. This review aimed to explore the implications of information asymmetry on the delivery of AT and to investigate if there are effective and equitable ways of providing AT brokerage services to people needing AT.
DESIGN
Scoping review.
DATA SOURCES
EBSCO Medline, EBSCO Cinahl, Academic Search Ultimate, Business Source Ultimate, Proquest Central, Scopus, Web of Science, PsychINFO, EconLit and JSTOR were searched through 18 July 2021.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Intervention and observational studies and articles directly related to information asymmetry and brokerage in the context of AT were included. In addition, a scan of web-based resources and services was undertaken.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Four authors independently screened the articles for inclusion and performed a narrative synthesis.
RESULTS
Thirty-three articles were identified. The narrative synthesis showed that: (1) AT users want access to impartial information sources; (2) users want to be involved in AT selection; (3) users benefit from access to demonstration sites; (4) users want access to training and ongoing support in their use of AT; and (5) users want access to information on new and emerging technologies. Access to information and user engagement, we produced better outcomes and satisfaction. Web-based repositories are valuable for user research and peer feedback, while demonstration sites address the need for expert advice, trial use of equipment, training and support in equipment use and maintenance.
CONCLUSIONS
Access to impartial information brokerage is critical to optimise AT selection. The implications of information asymmetry include lower user satisfaction, equipment underutilisation or abandonment. Aspects such as access to demonstration sites and web-based resources were also important.
Topics: Humans; Information Technology; Self-Help Devices; Disabled Persons
PubMed: 36574986
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063938 -
Canadian Journal of Public Health =... Jun 2023A 90-day intervention employed peer coaching, with and without home-based electronic devices connected to an app, to assess effectiveness in enhancing self-reported... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTERVENTION
A 90-day intervention employed peer coaching, with and without home-based electronic devices connected to an app, to assess effectiveness in enhancing self-reported health outcomes of older adults.
RESEARCH QUESTION
Does peer coaching aid older adults to better manage their chronic health conditions, and is the coaching further enhanced by home-based electronic devices?
METHODS
The study employed a pre-post intervention randomized controlled trial design with three groups: control (no coach, no devices), coach only, and coach + devices. Participants were 163 adults living in British Columbia, Canada, aged 65 to 98 years, with one or more chronic health conditions and access to a computer and Wi-Fi. Responses on five questionnaires assessed health outcomes pre- and post-intervention: Self-Efficacy Scale, PHQ-9, Medical Care, Patient Activation Measure and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 Questionnaire.
RESULTS
Compared with the control group (no coach, no devices), participants with a coach reported decreased depression, higher activation levels and energy levels, and better handling of role limitations due to physical health, social functioning, and communication with their physician. Participants with coaches and devices showed similar improvements on these measures with further decreases in depression severity as well as improved self-efficacy, better handling of role limitations due to emotional problems, higher level of emotional well-being and general health ratings, and lower pain.
CONCLUSION
Peer coaches alone and in combination with assistive devices demonstrated several positive outcomes for older persons with chronic conditions that lasted at least 90 days. The program can enhance effectiveness of care provided by general practitioners.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Chronic Disease; Mentoring; Self-Help Devices; Surveys and Questionnaires; British Columbia
PubMed: 36508153
DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00717-6 -
British Medical Journal Sep 1963
Topics: Baths; Humans; Self-Help Devices
PubMed: 14043737
DOI: No ID Found -
Bulletin of the World Health... Nov 2022Considerable progress has been made in saving the lives of children younger than 5 years. Nevertheless, these advances have failed to help all children thrive,...
Considerable progress has been made in saving the lives of children younger than 5 years. Nevertheless, these advances have failed to help all children thrive, particularly children with disabilities. We describe the increasing prevalence of disability among children and adolescents. We evaluate the current situation regarding children with disabilities and rehabilitation in the context of health systems, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. Within the newborn health agenda, congenital anomalies often require early intervention and rehabilitation. We provide Argentina as an example of a country where rehabilitation for congenital anomalies is integrated into the health system. We argue that congenital anomalies that require rehabilitation have the potential to strengthen rehabilitation systems and policies by: strengthening coordination between primary care and rehabilitation; identifying and understanding pathways that allow families to engage with services; providing human resources for rehabilitation; and building systems and resources that support assistive technology and rehabilitation. We propose ways for countries to prioritize and integrate early identification, referral and care for children with congenital anomalies to strengthen health systems for all. We identify opportunities to expand policy and planning and to design service delivery and workforce strategies through World Health Organization guidelines and frameworks for rehabilitation. We argue that the global health community must act to ensure that rehabilitation services to support functioning from birth are well established, accepted and integrated within health systems, and that disability is prioritized within child health. These steps would strengthen health systems, ensure functioning from birth and make rehabilitation accessible to all.
Topics: Child; Adolescent; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Disabled Persons; Global Health; Self-Help Devices; Workforce; Government Programs
PubMed: 36324557
DOI: 10.2471/BLT.22.288147 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2021Deaf and hard of hearing people use a variety of assistive devices and technologies as a strategy to mitigate, counter or compensate for life difficulties resulting from...
Deaf and hard of hearing people use a variety of assistive devices and technologies as a strategy to mitigate, counter or compensate for life difficulties resulting from hearing loss. Although outcome measures are commonly used with hearing aids, few studies have explored the perceived psychosocial impact of other assistive devices and technologies or the factors leading to their abandonment or lack of use. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial impact of different assistive devices on deaf and hard of hearing people using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale. The sample was made up of 291 individuals, 176 women and 115 men, with an average age of 56.12 years (standard deviation (SD) = 25.11), who were all users of different assistive devices. Overall, the results of the study showed that the use of assistive devices had a positive psychosocial impact, although this impact varied slightly depending on the specific type of device. Moreover, a relationship was identified between the psychosocial impact and the probability of future abandonment of a hearing aid or a cochlear implant. The results point to the importance of considering the psychosocial impact derived from the use of a device as a relevant variable in the adoption process of assistive technologies for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Topics: Cochlear Implantation; Female; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing Loss; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Self-Help Devices
PubMed: 34299710
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147259 -
Gerontology 2015Technologies that provide immersive experiences continue to become more ubiquitous across all age groups. This paper presents a review of the literature to provide a... (Review)
Review
Technologies that provide immersive experiences continue to become more ubiquitous across all age groups. This paper presents a review of the literature to provide a snapshot of the current state of research involving the use of immersive technologies and the elderly. A narrative literature review was conducted using the ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, Springerlink and ERIC databases to summarize primary studies from which conclusions were drawn into a holistic interpretation. The majority of the studies examined the effect of immersive technologies on elder peoples' age-related declines, including sensory and motor changes (vision, hearing, motor skills), cognitive changes and social changes. Various immersive technologies have been described and tested to address these age-related changes, and have been categorized as 'games and simulations', 'robotics' and 'social technologies'. In most cases, promising results were found for immersive technologies to challenge age-related declines, especially through the increase of morale.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Adaptation, Psychological; Aged; Aging; Computer Literacy; Humans; Patient Education as Topic; Self-Help Devices
PubMed: 25502624
DOI: 10.1159/000365754 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2019
Topics: Animals; Artificial Intelligence; Brain; Humans; Self-Help Devices
PubMed: 31316557
DOI: 10.1155/2019/7597839 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2021Humans interact with computers through various devices. Such interactions may not require any physical movement, thus aiding people with severe motor disabilities in... (Review)
Review
Humans interact with computers through various devices. Such interactions may not require any physical movement, thus aiding people with severe motor disabilities in communicating with external devices. The brain-computer interface (BCI) has turned into a field involving new elements for assistive and rehabilitative technologies. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to help BCI investigator and investors to decide which devices to select or which studies to support based on the current market examination. This examination of noninvasive EEG devices is based on published BCI studies in different research areas. In this SLR, the research area of noninvasive BCIs using electroencephalography (EEG) was analyzed by examining the types of equipment used for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative BCIs. For this SLR, candidate studies were selected from the IEEE digital library, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria (IC) were limited to studies focusing on applications and devices of the BCI technology. The data used herein were selected using IC and exclusion criteria to ensure quality assessment. The selected articles were divided into four main research areas: education, engineering, entertainment, and medicine. Overall, 238 papers were selected based on IC. Moreover, 28 companies were identified that developed wired and wireless equipment as means of BCI assistive technology. The findings of this review indicate that the implications of using BCIs for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative technologies are encouraging for people with severe motor disabilities and healthy people. With an increasing number of healthy people using BCIs, other research areas, such as the motivation of players when participating in games or the security of soldiers when observing certain areas, can be studied and collaborated using the BCI technology. However, such BCI systems must be simple (wearable), convenient (sensor fabrics and self-adjusting abilities), and inexpensive.
Topics: Brain-Computer Interfaces; Electroencephalography; Humans; Movement; Self-Help Devices; User-Computer Interface
PubMed: 34300492
DOI: 10.3390/s21144754 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022The visually impaired suffer greatly while moving from one place to another. They face challenges in going outdoors and in protecting themselves from moving and... (Review)
Review
The visually impaired suffer greatly while moving from one place to another. They face challenges in going outdoors and in protecting themselves from moving and stationary objects, and they also lack confidence due to restricted mobility. Due to the recent rapid rise in the number of visually impaired persons, the development of assistive devices has emerged as a significant research field. This review study introduces several techniques to help the visually impaired with their mobility and presents the state-of-the-art of recent assistive technologies that facilitate their everyday life. It also analyses comprehensive multiple mobility assistive technologies for indoor and outdoor environments and describes the different location and feedback methods for the visually impaired using assistive tools based on recent technologies. The navigation tools used for the visually impaired are discussed in detail in subsequent sections. Finally, a detailed analysis of various methods is also carried out, with future recommendations.
Topics: Humans; Visually Impaired Persons; Self-Help Devices; Technology
PubMed: 36298237
DOI: 10.3390/s22207888