Assistive Technology and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health

The ageing population is having an impact worldwide and has created a serious challenge in Thailand’s healthcare systems, whereby healthcare practitioners play a major role in promoting independent interaction of their client’s abilities, as well as environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to survey features of the home and assistive technology (AT) for the home-bound elderly in the community of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Home evaluation included features inside and outside the home, and AT was based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) concept. Methods included observation and an interview that were used by the researcher for evaluation. The study found that every home had at least one hazardous home feature such as inappropriate width of the door, high door threshold, tall stair steps, no bedside rail, and inappropriate height of the toilet pan. AT was found in houses as general products and technology for personal use in daily living and for personal indoor and outdoor mobility as well as transportation. Therefore, home features and AT can afford the home-bound elderly independent living within the community. Perspective AT according to the ICF concept could provide a common language for ageing in place benefits.

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Assistive technology device classification based upon the World Health Organization's, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)

Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology ◽

10.3109/17483107.2010.529631 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 243-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Stephen M. Bauer ◽

Linda-Jeanne Elsaesser ◽

Sajay Arthanat

Keyword(s):

Assistive Technology ◽

International Classification ◽

World Health ◽

International Classification Of Functioning ◽

Disability And Health ◽

The World ◽

Device Classification

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Device abandonment in deafblindness: a scoping review of the intersection of functionality and usability through the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health lens

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044873 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e044873

Author(s):

Walter Wittich ◽

Sarah Granberg ◽

Moa Wahlqvist ◽

M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller ◽

Elina Mäki-Torkko

Keyword(s):

Assistive Technology ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Technology Use ◽

Data Extraction ◽

International Classification ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

International Classification Of Functioning ◽

Disability And Health ◽

Device Use

ObjectivesAbandonment of vision, hearing or mobility aids suggests common barriers and facilitators to ongoing device use. However, the possible interactive effects of combined hearing and vision disabilities on device use by those living with deafblindness are unclear. Here we summarise existing knowledge on variables influencing assistive technology use from the perspective of persons living with deafblindness. We used the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework to contextualise the findings, asking ‘What is currently known about variables influencing the (non-)use of assistive devices recommended for persons with deafblindness?’DesignA scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist.Data sourcesPubMed; ProQuest: ERIC; ProQuest Dissertation; ProQuest: Sociological Thesaurus; Web of Science; Scientific Electronic Library Online; Bielefeld Academic Search Engine; Pascal & Francis; APA PsycINFO and Ebsco for CINAHL were searched through 9 November 2020.Eligibility criteriaWe included peer-reviewed studies that reported on assistive technology, device abandonment/utilisation and provided data from persons living with deafblindness.Data extraction and synthesisFour team members independently scored 83 studies for eligibility.ResultsTen articles were chosen for data extraction. The emerging variables replicated established categories of barriers and facilitators: personal, device-related, environmental and intervention variables. The use of the ICF highlighted how an intermediate variable (eg, device acceptability) was necessary in order for a variable to become a barrier or a facilitator to device use.ConclusionsThe variables influencing device use by persons with deafblindness followed the same categories described for single impairments. Usability was challenged in devices that rely on the ‘other’ sense. Haptic and tactile aids are rarely studied. The limited available information and the dire need for assistive technologies for people with deafblindness emphasises the urgency of research and technology development for this marginalised population.

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