Personalized feedback within rehabilitation programs is important for achieving goals because it enables people to adjust their behaviours, gauge their progress and stay motivated. For those recovering from a stroke, the most common goal is to improve walking ability. While affordable technologies exist that could provide detailed feedback, rehabilitation programs do not currently take advantage of them.
TRI Scientist Dr. Avril Mansfield tested whether the use one of these technologies—a motion sensing technology known as an accelerometer—could enhance rehabilitation programs for those recovering from a stroke.
A selection of participants wore accelerometers on each ankle for up to 12 hours a day while they were enrolled in the program. The information recorded by the accelerometer was compiled and shared with participants by their physiotherapist in the form of daily walking activity reports and incorporated into standard goal setting approaches.
The research team found that patients' walking speeds and consistency of step speed improved when they received the added feedback. Dr. Mansfield comments, “These results are encouraging because gains in walking speed enable patients to better carry out daily tasks. Also, the more consistent steps taken by patients within the study group may indicate enhanced walking stability. Taken together, integrating this type of personalized feedback into rehabilitation may to help speed up recovery and lead to better quality of life.”
This work was supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario Stroke Network, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the Toronto Rehab Foundation.
Use of accelerometer-based feedback of walking activity for appraising progress with walking-related goals in inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial. Mansfield A, Wong JS, Bryce J, Brunton K, Inness EL, Knorr S, Jones S, Taati B, McIlroy WE. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 2015 Jan 20. [Pubmed abstract]
Comments