We have just published a new paper from the Future Patient – telerehabilitation of Heart Failure Patients trial:

Predictors of Walking Activity in Patients With Systolic Heart Failure Equipped With a Step Counter: Randomized Controlled Trial by Josefine Dam Gade et al.

Results: A higher walking activity was associated with younger age, lower New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, and higher ejection fraction (EF). There was a statistically significant correlation between the number of daily steps and NYHA classification at baseline (P=.01), between the increase in daily steps and EF at baseline (P<.001), and between the increase in daily steps and improvement in EF (P=.005). The patients’ demographic, clinical, and activity data could predict 81% of the variation in daily steps.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated an association between demographic, clinical, and activity data for patients with HF that could predict daily steps. A step counter can thus be a useful tool to help patients monitor their own physical activity.

See published paper here.

Collaboration between master students in Clinical Science and Technology, AAU, Aalborg Municipality & Ory Lab, Japan:

The telepresence avatar robot OriHime as a communication tool for adults with acquired brain injury: an ethnographic case study

We conducted an exploratory ethnographic case study, applying the framework ‘community of practice.’ The intervention consisted of sessions where ABI patients at home interacted with a member from Aalborg Rehabilitation Club using OriHime. Data collection consisted of documentary materials, participant observations and semi-structured interviews.

Findings: The patients at home found nonverbal communication valuable, while the members at the rehabilitation center felt that OriHime lacked human features and preferred direct verbal communication. The technology facilitated a feeling of being a part of a community of practice between the participants, and it motivated the patients at home to participate in the rehabilitating activities at the center.

Reference: Vikkelsø, S., Hoang, T-H., Carrara, F., Hansen, K. D., & Dinesen, B. (2020). The telepresence avatar robot OriHime as a communication tool for adults with acquired brain injury: an ethnographic case study. Intelligent Service Robotics.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11370-020-00335-6

A Focused Review of Technologies and Teleservices

A review of service delivery and technologies in telerehabilitation programs for patients with knee osteoarthritis has been performed since the year of 2000. The conclusion is that video-based telerehabilitation programs can be considered the best alternative solution to conventional treatment. Sensor-based solutions have also become more popular due to rapid developments in sensor technology. Communication and human-generated feedback remain as important as monitoring and intervention services.

The article is available here

Abstract: Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) can be used in neurorehabilitation; however, the literature about transferring the technology to rehabilitation clinics is limited. A key component of a BCI is the headset, for which several options are available.

The aim of this study was to test four commercially available headsets’ ability to record and classify movement intentions (movement-related cortical potentials—MRCPs). Twelve healthy participants performed 100 movements, while continuous EEG was recorded from the headsets on two different days to establish the reliability of the measures: classification accuracies of single-trials, number of rejected epochs, and signal-to-noise ratio. MRCPs could be recorded with the headsets covering the motor cortex, and they obtained the best classification accuracies (73%-77%). The reliability was moderate to good for the best headset (a gel-based headset covering the motor cortex). The results demonstrate that, among the evaluated headsets, reliable recordings of MRCPs require channels located close to the motor cortex and potentially a gel-based headset.

PDF Version is available here.

Reza Naeemabadi, PhD student at Laboratory for Welfare Technology, Aalborg University, has published a study aimed to identify patients’ requirements after a total knee replacement following a self-training rehabilitation program, leading to the design and development of a telerehabilitation program.

Telerehabilitation programs can be employed to establish communication between patients and healthcare professionals and empower patients performing their training remotely. Let us hope it will be used more in the future.

You can see and read the paper here.

Listening to the patients: using participatory design in the development of a cardiac telerehabilitation web portal

Katrine Joensson, Camilla Melholt, John Hansen, Soeren Leth, Helle Spindler, Mathias Vassard Olsen, Birthe Dinesen

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of all deaths worldwide. Cardiac rehabilitation is an effective approach for preventing secondary complications, but it remains a complex intervention because of the need for lifestyle changes. One solution is to employ interactive telerehabilitation or eHealth web portals. However, these have not been implemented as intended by developers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the design and usability of a cardiac telerehabilitation web portal, called the ‘HeartPortal’, for use among heart failure (HF) patients.

Methods: The HeartPortal was designed using participatory design (PD). The design process involved HF patients, their relatives, healthcare professionals (HCP), healthcare company specialists and researchers. Self-determination theory (SDT) was used to enable the design to elicit intrinsic motivation within the patients. With eHealth literacy skills in mind, the goal of the HeartPortal was to successfully target the end-users. The PD process and data collection techniques included cultural probes, workshops, participant-observation, questionnaires, and problem-solving tasks.

Results: The PD process helped us design an interactive web portal, the HeartPortal. Based on participants’ feedback, the design incorporated features such as being able to make notes and to communicate with HCP, view data from self-tracking devices in a graphic form, and to obtain information on rehabilitation in the form of text, audio, and video. More than half of those testing the HeartPortal found that it was easy to navigate, and most of the users stated that it had an excellent structure and that using it could possibly improve their condition.

Conclusions: Overall, the HeartPortal was found to be logical and easy to navigate and will now be tested in a clinical trial within the Future Patient Telerehabilitation Program.

The full article is available here.

Video communication as a tool for psychosocial support for people recovering from severe mental disorder: social workers’ experiences

Claus Ugilt Oestergaard, Birthe Dinesen

Abstract

Background: This paper focuses on a Danish social tele-rehabilitation project, which uses video technologies to support mentally ill citizens in their recovery process in their homes. The aim of the study is to explore how social workers experience using video communication as part of a tele-social-rehabilitation program aimed at citizens discharged from a psychiatric hospital and lives in their own home with mental disorders recovering from a mental illness.

Methods: The research strategy in this study is the case study method. Data collection techniques for the case study were based on triangulation of several data sources, such as analysis of relevant documents, participant observation and qualitative interviews with clients and with social workers assisting citizens in their recovery process.

Results: The social workers stated that video technology gave them the opportunity to make changes in their working practices with the citizens. They also felt they were better able to meet the citizens’ need to improve their everyday lives. The social workers found that video technology was less intrusive than a physical visit to the citizen’s home. The technology helps to promote the client’s recovery process.

Conclusions: The social workers who used video technology in a tele-social-rehabilitation program experienced a community of practice, changes in their work routine and changes in the way they carried out social rehabilitation for clients in their recovery following discharge from mental hospital.

The full article is available here.

Vi har lige fået publiceret artikel om forskningsprotokol til projektet “Future Patient-telerehabilitering af hjertesvigtpatienter” i Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) – se link:
www.researchprotocols.org/2019/9/e14517/

Developing a telerehabilitation programme for postoperative recovery from knee surgery:

Specifications and requirements

The development of the sensor-based telerehabilitation programme was carried out based on user needs. The programme includes a portable platform for the patient as well as a web-based platform for the healthcare professional, thus allowing for an individualised rehabilitation programme. Communication, training, reporting, and information services were provided for the patients. Moreover, the portability and usability of the programme were enhanced by utilising the system in offline mode as well. Application The programme is currently being tested in the North Denmark Region to assess the feasibility and acceptance of a telerehabilitation programme as an alternative solution to the self-training programme for patients who have been discharged from knee surgery. The preliminary results of our assessment showed a high level of acceptance among the users. Discussion In this study, a semi-online

Have a look at this link.