Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In this step, the psychotechnologist analyzes all of the related clinician material (user
data) and through instruments such as Matching Person and Technology model he or she
set the framework assessment agreement together with the multidisciplinary team by
highlighting any environmental, personal, and technological issues. In agreement with
the multidisciplinary team, the psychotechnologist analyzes the medical case of S.A. by
detecting the individual predisposition to the assistive solutions by considering his previ-
ous experiences with AT, the current motivation to use an AT, and all of those environ-
mental factors that may affect the matching process [SOTU and ATD-PA of the Matching
Persons and Technology tests by Scherer (1998)]. More specifically, the psychotechnologist
• Checks if the social environment will support the solution (“His brother can help
him?”);
• Checks the equipment that will be part of tests during the assessment to select
some ATs, such as keyboard supports, mouse emulators (based on motor detec-
tion), and communication software (e.g., a word prediction program); and
• Selects a hand-held communicator designed for wheelchair use.
9.3.2.2 Setting Set-Up
In this step, the psychotechnologist prepares the setting and checks that all of the selected
technologies are correctly working. In the case of S.A., the psychotechnologist tests
different types of keyboards targeted for him, e.g., keyguards (i.e., a shield with holes over
the keys) or mouse emulators (such a switch-based system) compatible with Macintosh
systems along with a word prediction software (i.e., a portable alphabetical QWERTY
communicator with at least one shield).
9.3.2.3 Matching Process
• Assistive solution proposal
• Assistive solution user trial
• Assistive solution outcome
Together with the occupational therapist,
the psychotechnologist directly offers S.A. the
previously tested technologies by explaining their functioning and features. Then, sup-
ported by the occupational therapist, S.A. tests the proposed assistive solutions
while the
psychotechnologist supervises his interaction by collecting any critical situation to subse-
quently apply the better solutions to optimize the AT use. If it is possible, any customization
and/or configuration of the tested instruments will be applied by following the results of
any trial performed by S.A. through the use of a direct and participant observation meth-
ods, such as the Cognitive Walkthrough (Wharton et al. 1994) combined with Thinking
Aloud (Lewis, 1982) or integrated models of evaluation (Federici et al. 2005; Federici and
Borsci 2010) such the Matching Persons and Technology tools (Scherer 1998).
9.3.2.4 Assistive Solution Multidisciplinary Team Evaluation
In this phase, the psychotechnologist discusses the observations made during the inter-
action of S.A. with the ATs with the multidisciplinary team, highlighting the strengths
and weaknesses. The team decides whether tests are altogether satisfactory or not and
