Occupational Therapy Research on Assistive Technology and Physical Environmental Issues: A Literature Review

Background. To determine future directions for research in the area of assistive technology and physical environmental issues, it is important to have an understanding of prior research. Purpose. This literature review examined how assistive technology and physical environmental issues have been studied in the research published in international peer-reviewed occupational therapy journals. Method. Five recent volumes of nine journals were manually searched utilizing specific criteria. The publications were classified according to their perspective, application of the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, and the research design. Results. Both research fields demonstrated use of different research methods and they displayed equal needs with regard to improved research methodologies. Practice Implications. There are a lack of studies involving all three PEO components indicating a lack of research in occupational performance issues. Further research on occupational performance is important for developing occupational therapy practice in the area of assistive technology and physical environmental issues. Furthermore, study designs reflecting the societal level in all three PEO components are required. Finally, there is a strong need for conceptual and theoretical development in both fields.

[1]  M E Buning,et al.  Occupational performance and the transition to powered mobility: a pilot study. , 2001, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[2]  Susan I. Klein,et al.  The Role of Occupational Therapists in Home Modification Programs at an Area Agency on Aging , 2000 .

[3]  K. Lewin.  Field theory in social science , 1951 .

[4]  William C. Mann,et al.  Use of Passenger Vehicles by Older People with Disabilities , 1999 .

[5]  Inter-Rater Reliability of a Home Fall Hazards Assessment Tool , 1999 .

[6]  R. Cumming,et al.  Types of Hazards in the Homes of Elderly People , 1997 .

[7]  G Grimby,et al.  Assistive devices in an elderly population studied at 70 and 76 years of age. , 1994, Disability and rehabilitation.

[8]  C. Stuen,et al.  A Key to Aging in Place , 2000 .

[9]  M. Finlayson,et al.  Describing and predicting the possession of assistive devices among persons with multiple sclerosis. , 2001, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[10]  M. Prellwitz,et al.  Attitudes of Key Persons to Accessibility Problems in Playgrounds for Children with Restricted Mobility: A Study in a Medium-sized Municipality in Northern Sweden , 1999 .

[11]  W. Mann,et al.  Changes in Health, Functional and Psychosocial Status and Coping Strategies of Home-Based Older Persons with Arthritis over Three Years , 1999 .

[12]  P. Liebig.  Using Home Modifications to Promote Self-Maintenance and Mutual Care , 2000 .

[13]  J. Heaton,et al.  Assessing the Outcomes of Equipment and Adaptations: Issues and Approaches , 2001 .

[14]  U. Sonn,et al.  Occupational Therapy as Documented in Patients' Records: Part I. A Content Analysis of Occupational Therapy Records at an Occupational Therapy Department , 1996 .

[15]  L. Borell,et al.  Accommodation Needs and Student-Environment Fit in Upper Secondary Schools for Students with Severe Physical Disabilities , 2000, Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapie.

[16]  Albert M. Cook,et al.  Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice , 1995 .

[17]  Al Copolillo.  Use of Mobility Devices: The Decision-Making Process of Nine African-American Older Adults , 2001 .

[18]  Donna M Cowan,et al.  The User's Perspective on the Provision of Electronic Assistive Technology: Equipped for Life? , 1999 .

[19]  Jenny Strong,et al.  Compliance with Prescribed Adaptive Equipment: A Literature Review , 2000 .

[20]  Stacey Aikins Bishop,et al.  The Effects of Low-Cost Wheelchair Cushions and Body Type on Dynamic Sitting Pressure in Nursing Home Residents , 2000 .

[21]  R. Evans,et al.  The Effect of Electrically Powered Indoor/Outdoor Wheelchairs on Occupation: A Study of Users' Views , 2000 .

[22]  M. Corcoran,et al.  Family Caregiver Acceptance and Use of Environmental Strategies Provided in an Occupational Therapy Intervention , 2001 .

[23]  L. Letts,et al.  The Reliability and Validity of the Safety Assessment of Function and the Environment for Rehabilitation (SAFER Tool) , 1998 .

[24]  M. Hinman.  Causal Attributions of Falls in Older Adults , 1998 .

[25]  M. Law,et al.  Impact of Environmental Sensitivity on Occupational Performance , 2000, Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapie.

[26]  Jan Lanke,et al.  ADL dependence in the elderly population living in the community: the influence of functional limitations and physical environmental demand , 1998 .

[27]  A M O Bakheit,et al.  The Benefits of Environmental Control Systems as Perceived by Disabled Users and their Carers , 1999 .

[28]  T R Pellow,et al.  A Comparison of Interface Pressure Readings to Wheelchair Cushions and Positioning: A Pilot Study , 1999, Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapie.

[29]  Susanne Iwarsson,et al.  The Housing Enabler: An Objective Tool for Assessing Accessibility , 1999 .

[30]  L H Kraskowsky,et al.  Factors affecting older adults' use of adaptive equipment: review of the literature. , 2001, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[31]  Naomi Priest,et al.  Laptop computers and children with disabilities: Factors influencing success , 2001 .

[32]  C. Unsworth.  Living with epilepsy: Safety during home, leisure and work activities , 1999 .

[33]  P. Moyers,et al.  Potential Variables Affecting the Use of Reachers by the Elderly , 2000 .

[34]  B. Steen,et al.  The use and effectiveness of assistive devices in an elderly urban population , 1996, Aging.

[35]  Equipment: Is it the Answer? An Audit of Equipment Provision , 2001 .

[36]  Agneta Ståhl,et al.  Traffic Engineering and Occupational Therapy: A Collaborative Approach for Future Directions , 1999 .

[37]  Linda McClain,et al.  Wheelchair Accessibility—Living the Experience: Function in the Community , 1998 .

[38]  T. Davidson.  Total Hip Replacement: An Audit of the Provision and Use of Equipment , 1999 .

[39]  John R. F. Gladman,et al.  The Use of Transport by Stroke Patients , 2001 .

[40]  Rhoda Weiss-Lambrou,et al.  An international content validation of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology (QUEST) , 1999 .

[41]  Regeringen och Regeringskansliet.  Från patient till medborgare - en nationell handlingsplan för handikappolitiken , 2000 .

[42]  Dynamic Seating Interface Pressures during Wheelchair Locomotion: Influence of Cushion Type , 1998 .

[43]  Study into the Equipment Needs of People with Restricted Growth , 1998 .

[44]  S. Iwarsson,et al.  Accessibility, usability and universal design—positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships , 2003, Disability and rehabilitation.

[45]  D. Stewart,et al.  The Effect of a Transfer Device in the Homes of Elderly Women , 1998 .

[46]  T. Sumsion.  Book Review: Enabling Occupation: An Occupational Therapy Perspective , 1997 .

[47]  Å. Brandt,et al.  Satisfaction with rollators among community-living users: a follow-up study , 2003, Disability and rehabilitation.

[48]  The use of microwave ovens by elderly persons with disabilities. , 1997, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[49]  Towards the Development of a Policy of Recycling Assistive Technology for People Living with a Disability , 2000 .

[50]  U. Sonn,et al.  Elderly women's way of relating to assistive devices , 1999 .

[51]  Črt Marinček.  Assistive technology - added value to the quality of life : AAATE'01 , 2001 .

[52]  L. Clemson,et al.  Content Validity of an Assessment Tool to Identify Home Fall Hazards: The Westmead Home Safety Assessment , 1999 .

[53]  K. Braun,et al.  Client Satisfaction Survey of a Wheelchair Seating Clinic , 2000, Teaching Students Geriatric Research.

[54]  Maternal management of the home as a developmental play space for infants and toddlers. , 2000, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[55]  Patricia Rigby,et al.  The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance , 1996 .

[56]  Paul van Schaik.  Adapted Technology for People with Special Needs - the Case of Smart Cards and Terminals. , 2000 .

[57]  Orit Shechtman,et al.  Comparing Wheelchair Cushions for Effectiveness of Pressure Relief: A Pilot Study , 2001 .

[58]  J. Byles,et al.  Designing the Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST): Selecting the Items , 2000 .

[59]  The Funding Agencies' Perspective on the Provision of Electronic Assistive Technology: Equipping for Life? , 1999 .

[60]  C. Vincent.  Practices of Recycling Assistive Technology in Quebec , 1999, Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapie.

[61]  H Bouma.  Gerontechnology: emerging technologies and their impact on aging in society. , 1998, Studies in health technology and informatics.

[62]  B. Seeger,et al.  Effectiveness of electronic aids to daily living: Increased independence and decreased frustration , 2001 .

[63]  M. Tamm.  How Children with Restricted Mobility Perceive their School Environment , 2000 .

[64]  M M Camp,et al.  The use of service dogs as an adaptive strategy: a qualitative study. , 2001, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

[65]  Lisbeth Claesson,et al.  USE AND COST OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY THE FIRST YEAR AFTER STROKE , 2002, International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care.

[66]  L. Gitlin,et al.  How occupational therapists teach older patients to use bathing and dressing devices in rehabilitation. , 1998, The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association.