Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Presentation of the Chapters of Section I
The chapters presented in this section aim to discuss both features and different aspects
of the ATA process to set up a standard structure that can be shared among the centers
for technical aid that aims to reduce both the abandonment and disuse of their assigned
assistive technologies. Specifically, in Chapter 1, “Assessing Individual Functioning and
Disability,” the authors present an overview of the historical evolution of different models
of disability, from the medical to biopsychosocial, to explain the theoretical background
underlying the ATA process. The biopsychosocial (or universal) model embraced by the
ICF is deepened here: From this new perspective, the concepts of “functioning” and
“disability” are redefined in reference to the complex interaction between personal and
environmental factors. Under the lenses of this holistic model, the authors aim to explain
the function of assistive solutions, which are conceived here as a mediator between the
multidimensionality of the specific health conditions of an individual and their effective
functioning in the ATA process (see also Section III).
A close examination of the role of individual functioning, and how to measure it, is
presented in Chapter 2, “Measuring Individual Functioning.” The authors discuss both
issues and principles related to the measurement of the individual functioning with
special attention to its application to the ATA process. Starting from a discussion of the
complexity of the definition of disability, the authors suggest different guiding principles
to help professionals work on centers for technical aid in choosing and applying the set of
measures that better fit with the aims of the ATA process. Different measures for clinical,
functional, and psycho-socio-environmental factors are suggested here for the different
evaluation steps of the ATA process. Different tools and techniques are presented to
facilitate the multidisciplinary team-building process by means of the characterization
of each profession required during the assessment (and measurement) process, with the
ultimate aim of ensuring the well-being of the user/client (see also Section II).
In Chapter 3, “Measuring the Assistive Technology Match,” the problem of measurement
in the matching process between user and AT is discussed. In the first paragraph, the authors
focus on the description of two models, the MPT (Figure I.2; Scherer 1998, 2005) and the ICF
models, to provide a comprehensive overview of the main standard frameworks of measures
and tools currently being used. The aim of this work is to explain how the ATA process is
integrated with the MPT model to achieve the best assistive solution because they both share
a user-driven approach under the biopsychosocial model of the ICF (see also Section III).
The relation among environment, accessibility, usability, and sustainability between a
user and an AT is explained in Chapter 4, “The Assessment of the Environments of Use:
Accessibility, Sustainability, and Universal Design.” In this chapter, an UX model and the
environment evaluation model are discussed as two of the main important steps in the ATA
process. Moreover, the environmental assessment in the ATA process is both introduced
and exemplified as a step-by-step decision-making process set up by the multidisciplinary
team for collecting data about the environment(s) of use, in which the users go to work
with the AT (see also Sections II and III).
Chapter 5, “Measuring the Impact of AT on Family Caregivers,” concludes this section.
It gives an overview of the literature about the impact of AT on informal caregivers of
children and adults and describes the relationship among outcomes for assistance users,
their informal caregivers, and the related assistive solutions. By means of two hypothetical
illustrative vignettes, this chapter aims both to provide recommendations for practice and
suggest future developments in this field.
