Morris Leah, Cramp Mary, Turton Ailie
School of Health and Wellbeing, UWE Bristol - Glenside Campus, Bristol, UK.
J Rehabil Assist Technol Eng. 2022 Aug 10;9:20556683221114790. doi: 10.1177/20556683221114790. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.
Current assistive devices are inadequate in addressing the needs of some people living with impaired mobility. This study explored the experiences of living with impaired mobility in relation to how wearable assistive adaptive and rehabilitative technologies may improve their quality of life.
A cross-case study approach was adopted; the case being defined as the experience of impaired mobility. Semi-structured interviews were utilised. The sample ( = 8) was purposefully selected to have impaired mobility due to stroke, age-related frailty, or lower limb amputation. From the interview transcripts, in-depth case illustrations were written to provide personal stories and thematic analysis was carried out to provide a cross-case analysis.
There were two overarching themes: lifestyle changes; and wishes and desires for assistive devices. There were shared experiences across participant groups, such as falls and fear of falling. All participants identified a wish for increased speed of walking. However, the reasons for their difficulties differed depending on personal factors and their condition. Participants wanted devices to be adjustable to their perceived ability on a day-to-day basis.
Although common concerns and impacts of living with impaired mobility were apparent, individuals have unique requirements that should inform the design of assistive technology devices.
当前的辅助设备在满足一些行动不便者的需求方面存在不足。本研究探讨了行动不便者在可穿戴辅助、适应性和康复技术如何改善其生活质量方面的体验。
采用跨案例研究方法；案例定义为行动不便的体验。使用了半结构化访谈。样本（n = 8）被有目的地选取，包括因中风、与年龄相关的虚弱或下肢截肢而行动不便的人。从访谈记录中，撰写了深入的案例说明以提供个人故事，并进行了主题分析以提供跨案例分析。
有两个总体主题：生活方式的改变；以及对辅助设备的愿望和期望。各参与者群体之间存在共同经历，如跌倒和对跌倒的恐惧。所有参与者都表示希望提高行走速度。然而，他们困难的原因因个人因素和自身状况而异。参与者希望设备能根据他们日常感知的能力进行调节。
虽然行动不便者的共同担忧和影响很明显，但个人有独特的需求，这些需求应指导辅助技术设备的设计。
