1,720,971 research outputs found
A cutlery set for stroke
No full textStroke is a common problem that affects approximately 700,000 patients annually in the United States alone and can cause long-term disabilities (Mallory, 2006, p.33). The long-term effects of a stroke can impact on the patient’s ability to use one side of their body. Upper limb, lower limb, postural and communication difficulties are common factors that patients experience after a stroke (Perry, 2004), which can affect the patient’s ability to eat (McLaren, 1997).
After a stroke, the impairment of an upper limb can lead to problems that make it difficult for people to use cutlery, and include poor grip, decreased muscle control, tremors and upper limb weakness (Brackenrige, 2016). Currently, there are some assistive technology (AT) cutlery sets aimed to help patients who have difficulty in eating and muscle control. Several reasons why stroke patients abandon AT cutlery are cost, appearance, and function (Vaes, 2014). However, an experiment (Torrens, 2013) in to adaptive cutlery products and previous research suggest that there is a large space to improve this, such as appearance and function.
AT cutlery sets have been criticized because of their appearance and inferior functions (Torrens, 2013). This then leads to a disconnection between the user and the AT cutlery products, in which the user experiences visible stigma and links the cutlery to an undesirable characteristic (Vaes, 2012). There are some limitations of the current AT cutlery sets that have been identified in the evaluation (Torren & Smith, 2013), such as poor friction material, stereotypical shapes, and skin-tone handle colour. The limitations create an opportunity for the designers to improve the AT cutlery set to be a selected object and a pleasurable product to use in everyday life.
The purpose of this research is to explore how human-centred design can reduce the stigma of using AT cutlery for stroke patients through addressing the appearance and interactions of spoons, forks and knives. The research involves the following steps: observing videos of stroke patients eating, interviewing clinicians, interviewing stroke patients, and iterative design with the supervision of clinicians.
Some of the main issues identified surrounding stroke patient eating and using cutlery include grip weakness, muscle contracture, and difficulty of flexion. Based on the product intervention model for stigma (PIMS) (Vaes, 2014), this study utilized existing research surrounding the evaluation of assistive technology. To help understand each stage of the user needs, previous feedback from health-care clinicians and patients will ensure the validity of ergonomic interventions and stigma strategy as a substitute for traditional cutlery design.
The output of this research includes a set of cutlery as well as assistive components. The design addresses a patient’s difficulty in using cutlery through an adaptive ring to help the patients’ grip. The utensils allow the user to either carry out eating activities at home or in a restaurant.
The feedback from occupational therapists and physiotherapists indicates that the cutlery should accommodate different levels of stroke severity. Based on the findings of literature reviews and feedback, I have focused my design on addressing the stroke patients’ grip weakness, muscle contracture, and difficulty of hand flexion, whilst minimizing stigma, based on the PIMS strategies (Vaes, 2014). The design principle suggests that current cutlery designs with an integrated shape cannot meet all requirements of a stroke patient. Therefore, a combination of additional wearing components needs to be used to help dietary intake
Adapt: The design of a parametric system for hyper personalised sets of cutlery for stroke patients
No full textThis paper presents a system for digitally manufacturing hyper personalised sets of cutlery for stroke patients. Stroke produces a wide variety of physical, cognitive, emotional and social effects that vary widely among individuals and may include weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, contractures and inability to rotate joints. This design addresses the factors including weakened grip strength, contracted wrist and fingers, limited range of motion in the wrist, hand tremors and lack of control.
Becoming independent again is an essential stage for patients and difficulty performing standard eating tasks is a commonly reported effect after stroke, which is challenging physically and emotionally. There are existing ergonomic eating aids on the market, but none that offer personalisation for the widely different physiological effects of stroke, or that effectively integrate a sense of progression and achievement, which is the key to keeping patients motivated and confident throughout the rehabilitation process.
This study investigates the way design can help reduce product related and social stigma for upper limb stroke rehabilitation patients in the use of cutlery. This research explores the way that a parametric system can be implemented to aid clinicians in identifying the individual needs of patients against a list of criteria. This design study has developed a set of cutlery that assists patients, making them feel confident and comfortable using cutlery in situations outside of their homes, as well as assisting as a therapy device. This research presents a parametric system that allows for controlling the variables relative to the design criteria based on the patient’s physiological abilities.
The variables include the ability to change the diameter and size of the handle, the curve of the utensil in the (x,y) plane, the angle of the handle in the (x,z) plane and the depth of the finger groove which accommodates the index finger. The paper presents the main findings from how participants experienced stigma, clinicians feedback on the appropriateness of the cutlery designs, and how personalisation contributes to motivation within therapy.
These main findings conclude that cutlery designed for stroke patients needs to be personalised, as each patient has very individual needs according to their very individual impairments. Current cutlery does not address them all and even less address them through personalisation. The specific variables in the system need to be controlled and restricted to ensure that all 40,000 of the possible outcomes are effective
A Game Controller for Stroke Rehabilitation
No full textSuccessful stroke rehabilitation relies on early, long-term, repetitive and intensive treatment. Repetitions conducted during clinical rehabilitation are significantly lower than that suggested by physiotherapeutic literature to relearn lost motor capabilities. This leaves patients to achieve this quantity in their home environment. Exercises can be monotonous and repetitive, making it difficult to maintain patient motivation. Exergames have been promoted for use in the home to make rehabilitation entertaining, increasing patients engagement with their therapy. Marketed exergaming systems for lower limb rehabilitation are hard to find, and none as of yet, facilitate Strength for Task Training (STT), a novel physiotherapeutic method for lower limb stroke rehabilitation. Strength for Task Training involves performing brief but intensive strength training (priming) prior to task-specic training to promote neural plasticity and maximise the gains in locomotor ability.
This research investigates how the design of a game controller for lower limb stroke rehabilitation can facilitate unsupervised STT to compliment clinical contact time.
The game controller was developed as part of a complete exergaming system designed to specifically facilitate STT. This involved working closely with co-researcher Scott Brebner who designed the exergame media. A user centered design approach was followed to include clinicians and stroke patients in the design process. This ensured the design aligned with the functional requirements of STT and the contextual needs of the patient. Workshops with stroke clinicians and neurophysiologists pointed to the specific areas of STT that a designed system could address. An iterative design process was used to develop, compare and improve concepts through testing with participants and clinicians. User testing involved participants using the game controller to interact with the digital game.
The final output was a prototype pair of smart shoes with an attachable weighted sole. The design used removable sensors to translate lower limb movement into ingame interactions. The design of the shoes and weighted sole provided a simple and safe way to engage in unsupervised STT. Research findings suggest that while not all of the STT therapy can be incorporated in an unsupervised and home-based exergame system, there are some essential elements that can. Adaptable hardware was found to be integral to facilitating intensive priming. Barriers to use can be reduced through considering the diverse physiological and cognitive abilities of stroke patients and aesthetic consideration can help create a meaningful game controller that promotes its use in the home
Designed for Delight: Exploring surprising applications of 3D printing in lighting design
No full textHow can the unique qualities that 3D printing offers generate surprise through visual-tactile incongruities in lighting design?
Designs that surprise us challenge our expectations and impact the experience and perception of our surroundings. Surprise is a useful tool for designers and can elevate a product from mundane to memorable; drawing attention and inviting engagement. Existing strategies have explored surprise in product design through the exploration of sensory incongruities, most notably visual-tactile incongruities (Ludden, 2008; Ludden, Schifferstein, & Hekkert, 2008). 3D printing is an evolving technology that has capabilities traditional manufacturing is unable to achieve, including: building internal and complex structures, building with multiple materials simultaneously, and creating material gradients. Lighting design has been explored with 3D printing, attaining previously unachievable patterns, moving structures and light permeation control. Lighting design has also investigated surprise and sensory incongruities. However, research has not yet been done to investigate how visually-tactually incongruous 3D printing can offer new strategies for eliciting surprise in lighting design.
This research addresses this identified gap by assessing the applicability of Ludden’s (2008) strategies to 3D printing. This was done through the design of a series of experimental objects and lights that sought to surprise through the use of visual-tactile incongruities. Developing and testing these experiments aided the development of new approaches to designing that addressed the unique opportunities of 3D printing. The potential of the proposed approaches are expressed through the final designs of the interactive lamps; objects designed to inspire delight and enjoyment through their unique interactions and surprising qualities
Dear my Very Problematic Blood Glucose Meter: Adolescents' Experiences Self-Managing Type 1 Diabetes and their Psychosocial User Requirements Of Medical Technologies
No full text“Dear insulin pump. I love that you came into my life! You give me flexibility, confidence, and happiness.”
“Dear my very problematic blood glucose meter. I wish I could let you go. I don't ask much from you, just correct readings and that you stop deciding to pack it in. You make me second guess myself and my health.”
The difference between a loved and a despised medical device is stark. Adolescents with type 1 diabetes require medical devices that facilitate their self-management throughout every aspect of their lives, from school, to the sports field, to managing hypoglycaemia in the middle of the night. This research aims to describe adolescents’ experiences self-managing type 1 diabetes, and identify their psychosocial user requirements of medical technologies.
Following a constructivist research paradigm, a range of predominantly qualitative and participatory design methods were employed with 16 adolescent and young adult participants with type 1 diabetes and nine health professionals. Methods included semi-structured interviews and a card-sort task to understand the psychosocial impacts of current medical devices. Cultural probes elicited: adolescents’ metaphors for managing diabetes, how they would like to manage their diabetes, the best and worst features of their devices, and the relationships they have with them. Undergraduate design students used secondary research and emergent psychosocial user requirements of medical devices to design blood glucose meters, lancets, storage solutions, and insulin pumps that resembled watches, jewellery, and smartphones, could be attached to a bike, or could glow at night. I used these designs to provide additional support for adolescents’ user requirements, demonstrate how they were of use to designers, and stimulate discussion with the adolescents. The adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed a participatory design workshop, designing blood glucose meters that challenged the ways in which medical devices currently draw attention. Findings were analysed using a constructivist approach to grounded theory, and psychosocial user requirements were developed.
On average, current medical devices have positive psychosocial impacts on adolescents, with large positive impacts on users’ feelings of competence, followed by increased feelings of adaptability and self-esteem. However, some adolescent requirements remain unmet. Issues include the transition of responsibility for diabetes management from parent to adolescent, managing blood glucose while participating in everyday activities such as sports, managing attention, and developing acceptance of a long-term condition. Other issues stem from devices’ features, usability, reliability, and context of use. As research has indicated, the traditional health approach is about curing illness, but with diabetes, managing wellness is key. The person learns to fit diabetes around the rest-of-life. While it is pertinent that diabetes technologies are clinically effective, they should also be designed in alignment with adolescent psychosocial user requirements, taking into account not only their physical health, but also the ways and contexts in which adolescents go about their daily lives
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
The Implementation of Action Observation Therapy in Virtual Worlds
No full textUpper limb rehabilitation after stroke is vital to the recovery of a patient’s range of motion, dexterity and strength (Jauch et al, 2010, p. 824). Rehabilitative practises are diverse and met with varying levels of success (Brewer et al, 2012, p. 11). This research is concerned with action observation therapy and its potential for neural reorganization through consistent repetition of prescribed physiotherapy exercises.
Action observation utilizes mirror neurons to stimulate neural strengthening and recovery (Ertelt et al, 2007, p. 172). The observation of an expert completion of an action by either the patient, a representation of the patient or someone else fires the corresponding mirror neuron (Fogassi et al, 2005, p. 662). Mirror neurons’ ability to be fired under multiple conditions allow a patient who is unable to complete an action, in this case a physiotherapy exercise, to still receive the neural benefit just by observing the action (Ertelt et al, 2007, p. 165).
In collaboration with sensory devices in a virtual medium, action observation will be used to create a dynamic and engaging simulation with the intent of providing a physiotherapy experience that progresses in difficulty. Incremental difficulty will ensure patients are being pushed to their limits in a controlled and monitored environment (IJsselsteijn, 2007, p. 27).
Neural reorganization requires a large number of repetitions of exercises over extended periods of time creating rehabilitative experiences that have traditionally been tedious and mundane (Merians et al, 2002, p. 898; O’Dell, Lin & Harrison, 2009, p. 55). Gamification of traditional methods can engage the patient over an extended period of time By masking the repetitive nature of the exercises with a fun experience, patients can receive the full benefit of the treatment while performing enjoyable tasks (Muzzaffa et al, 2013, p. 69)
Designing and disseminating DIY assistive technology in an online environment
No full textStroke is a debilitating neurological condition caused by a dysfunction in the flow of blood to the brain (Stroke.org, 2016). The onset of stroke can result in complex disability that may require long term rehabilitation (Duncan, 1994). The deterioration of psychosocial well-being is one of the many issues that may result from the formation of disability in an individual (Aström, 1992). Dunn (2000) defines psychosocial as “how people think and feel about, influence, and relate to actual, imagined, or assumed others”. It is about how our concept of self in influences our relationships with others and vice versa.
The purpose of this research is to investigate what in influence digitally connected communities can have on psychosocial recovery from stroke. This will be achieved through the creation of a web application. This web application will expand on the idea of DIY and non-intentional design (Brandes, 2008) and apply it in a rehabilitative manner. Non-intentional design is defined by Brandes (2008, p) as, “the everyday, unprofessional redesign of professionally designed objects. NID results when an object is used in a manner different from the prescribed (and therefore restricted) functional intention or when the prescribed application is not honoured in the new uses”. The intention being that influencing assistive technology use in a positive way can help a person accept disability into their concept of self and help that person to regain confidence to engage with others socially.
This research initially canvasses literature reviews (Hanington et al, 2012) to analyze the psychosocial, elderly engagement with web applications, and to develop heuristics to guide the design of the web application. Subsequently, I have used precedent reviews (Hanington et al, 2012) to analyze DIY assistive technology documentation in an online environment. Finally, I utilised a Research through design (Frayling, 1993) approach to inform the creation of this DIY assistive technology and the web application. User testing of the web application was then performed. The testing took the participants through the process of using the web application via a set list of tasks and also asked them to recreate one of the three available DIY assistive technology examples
Te Kēmu Hauora - Designing a mobile game to facilitate education and improve healthcare engagement
No full textThis thesis addresses the research question “How could a mobile game be designed to facilitate education and improve healthcare engagement around skin sores in children?”.
Health behaviour issues such as lack of education and low adherence to treatment regimes impact the success rates of treatments in children for common ailments such as skin sores. Skin sores are a particular health issue in New Zealand where the rates of admission to hospital for serious skin infections in 2006 were double that of USA and Australia (Craig et al., 2007, p. 278-282). Hospitalisation can be prevented by ensuring treatment regimes for skin sores are correctly completed after early diagnosis (Gray et al., 2013, p. 2).
Literature states that game design is a viable solution to healthcare issues, as it can be used alongside persuasive strategies to engage and educate children around their treatments. However, there is a gap in the literature and existing precedents for health games addressing treatment of common ailments.
This thesis addresses the research question through developing design criteria for a health game by identifying suitable theories to encourage positive health behaviors and educate children. These include: simulation, personalisation, reward and flow theory, as well as the information, motivation, strategy model to increase engagement with treatment. These criteria are used alongside user personas and journey maps methods to create the design output of a mobile health game to educate and engage New Zealand children around the treatment of skin sores.
The game was tested for education, engagement and usability during the design process. Methods for user testing included observation, an adaption of the System Usability Scale and semi-structured interview questions. Thematic analysis of the testing results showed that most participants were engaged with the game and gained education around treatment steps. Insights on user testing with children for education, engagement, and usability are reported. The final output was refined and accessed against the design criteria.
Findings from this thesis discuss how game design techniques including simulation, flow theory and reward can be used to educate and engage children with treatments of common ailments
- …
