Unmet Needs, Barriers, and Satisfaction with Access to Assistive Technology Among Patients Attending Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Orthopedic Departments Of a Tertiary Care Center of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala, India : Protocol for A descriptive pilot study". (Preprint)

Abstract

Assistive technology includes any assistive device or software that is used to improve, maintain, or increase the functional capabilities of those with disabilities. Assistive technology is a fundamental human right. Addressing the unmet need of assistive products is important for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Very few countries have developed effective national assistive technology policies or programs. The gap between the haves and the have nots is very wide in the Assistive Technology industry.

This research aims to understand the unmet needs of assistive technology in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Central Kerala, India.

After institutional review board review and approval, patients who require assistive technology from the departments of Otorhinolaryngology. Ophthalmology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation(PMR), and Orthopedics will be identified and those who meet the inclusion criteria selected for the study. A signed informed consent will be obtained from each participant willing to participate in the study. In the event that participants cannot be contacted during their hospital visits, they will be asked for willingness to participate in the study, through telephone calls, after explaining the details about the study. The questionnaire will be administered in English/Malayalam or in any language the participant is comfortable with. Telephonic or direct interview methods will be used to collect data.

The study will have 40 participants from each of the departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Orthopedics. After data collection, information will be entered into Excel sheets and analyzed using SPSS 25 software. Numerical variables will be expressed as mean and standard deviations. Categorical variables will be expressed as frequencies with percentages. To study the factors associated with access to Assistive Technology, chi-square tests will be used.

We plan to disseminate the summarized information collected through this study to regional public health conferences and also publish the results of our study in journals. At the same time, we hope to inform the administrators of our hospital about our findings so they can make informed policy decisions for people who require Assistive Technology.

Not applicable