Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives
Over the last few years, exoskeletons have been demonstrated to be useful tools for supporting the execution of neuromotor rehabilitation sessions. However, they are still not very present in hospitals. Therapists tend to be wary of this type of technology, thus reducing its acceptability and, there...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1721 |
| _version_ | 1797623150594228224 |
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| author | Beatrice Luciani Francesco Braghin Alessandra Laura Giulia Pedrocchi Marta Gandolla |
| author_facet | Beatrice Luciani Francesco Braghin Alessandra Laura Giulia Pedrocchi Marta Gandolla |
| author_sort | Beatrice Luciani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the last few years, exoskeletons have been demonstrated to be useful tools for supporting the execution of neuromotor rehabilitation sessions. However, they are still not very present in hospitals. Therapists tend to be wary of this type of technology, thus reducing its acceptability and, therefore, its everyday use in clinical practice. The work presented in this paper investigates a novel point of view that is different from that of patients, which is normally what is considered for similar analyses. Through the realization of a technology acceptance model, we investigate the factors that influence the acceptability level of exoskeletons for rehabilitation of the upper limbs from therapists’ perspectives. We analyzed the data collected from a pool of 55 physiotherapists and physiatrists through the distribution of a questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression were used for the analysis. The relations between the variables of interest were also investigated depending on participants’ age and experience with technology. The model built from these data demonstrated that the perceived usefulness of a robotic system, in terms of time and effort savings, was the first factor influencing therapists’ willingness to use it. Physiotherapists’ perception of the importance of interacting with an exoskeleton when carrying out an enhanced therapy session increased if survey participants already had experience with this type of rehabilitation technology, while their distrust and the consideration of others’ opinions decreased. The conclusions drawn from our analyses show that we need to invest in making this technology better known to the public—in terms of education and training—if we aim to make exoskeletons genuinely accepted and usable by therapists. In addition, integrating exoskeletons with multi-sensor feedback systems would help provide comprehensive information about the patients’ condition and progress. This can help overcome the gap that a robot creates between a therapist and the patient’s human body, reducing the fear that specialists have of this technology, and this can demonstrate exoskeletons’ utility, thus increasing their perceived level of usefulness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:24:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dbd1ef0898994516a25eee27519f8c3a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:24:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-dbd1ef0898994516a25eee27519f8c3a2023-11-16T18:05:10ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-02-01233172110.3390/s23031721Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ PerspectivesBeatrice Luciani0Francesco Braghin1Alessandra Laura Giulia Pedrocchi2Marta Gandolla3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 1, 20156 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 1, 20156 Milano, ItalyNeuroEngineering And Medical Robotics Laboratory (NEARLab), Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via La Masa 1, 20156 Milano, ItalyOver the last few years, exoskeletons have been demonstrated to be useful tools for supporting the execution of neuromotor rehabilitation sessions. However, they are still not very present in hospitals. Therapists tend to be wary of this type of technology, thus reducing its acceptability and, therefore, its everyday use in clinical practice. The work presented in this paper investigates a novel point of view that is different from that of patients, which is normally what is considered for similar analyses. Through the realization of a technology acceptance model, we investigate the factors that influence the acceptability level of exoskeletons for rehabilitation of the upper limbs from therapists’ perspectives. We analyzed the data collected from a pool of 55 physiotherapists and physiatrists through the distribution of a questionnaire. Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression were used for the analysis. The relations between the variables of interest were also investigated depending on participants’ age and experience with technology. The model built from these data demonstrated that the perceived usefulness of a robotic system, in terms of time and effort savings, was the first factor influencing therapists’ willingness to use it. Physiotherapists’ perception of the importance of interacting with an exoskeleton when carrying out an enhanced therapy session increased if survey participants already had experience with this type of rehabilitation technology, while their distrust and the consideration of others’ opinions decreased. The conclusions drawn from our analyses show that we need to invest in making this technology better known to the public—in terms of education and training—if we aim to make exoskeletons genuinely accepted and usable by therapists. In addition, integrating exoskeletons with multi-sensor feedback systems would help provide comprehensive information about the patients’ condition and progress. This can help overcome the gap that a robot creates between a therapist and the patient’s human body, reducing the fear that specialists have of this technology, and this can demonstrate exoskeletons’ utility, thus increasing their perceived level of usefulness.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1721technology acceptance modelrehabilitation exoskeletonstherapistsneuro-rehabilitationmultiple linear regressionPearson’s correlation |
| spellingShingle | Beatrice Luciani Francesco Braghin Alessandra Laura Giulia Pedrocchi Marta Gandolla Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives Sensors technology acceptance model rehabilitation exoskeletons therapists neuro-rehabilitation multiple linear regression Pearson’s correlation |
| title | Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives |
| title_full | Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives |
| title_short | Technology Acceptance Model for Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation of the Upper Limbs from Therapists’ Perspectives |
| title_sort | technology acceptance model for exoskeletons for rehabilitation of the upper limbs from therapists perspectives |
| topic | technology acceptance model rehabilitation exoskeletons therapists neuro-rehabilitation multiple linear regression Pearson’s correlation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/3/1721 |
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