Effects of Age and Satisfaction on Acceptance of High-Technology Occupational Therapy Post Stroke Elizabeth Widicus, OTS and Dorothy Farrar Edwards, PhD Occupational Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology University of Wisconsin-Madison RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODS RESULTS CONCLUSIONS INTRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A very special thank you to my research mentor, Dr. Dorothy Farrar Edwards for her assistance and guidance. A big thank you to the participants of this study as well. This project was funded by the Gertrude Gaston Fund. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Participants- Eight people in the chronic stage of stroke recovery (stroke at least six months prior) attending a stroke support group at Meriter Hospital or living at skilled nursing facility, Capitol Lakes in Madison, Wisconsin. Design- Interview using the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) and the Stroke Rehabilitation Survey (SRS). Measures SIS is the standard stroke outcome scale developed by the American Stroke Association. Its 59 items create 8 subscales which assess how much difficulty the person is having with different areas of their life as a result of the stroke. Respondents also rate their recovery from their stroke using a scale from 0 to 100%. SRS is a self-report scale which asks for demographic information such as age and when the stroke occurred. It also asks for satisfaction with therapy received and willingness to try/interest in trying new types of high- technology forms of therapy, including FES and RT. Background Each year 795,000 people in the US suffer a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US and is the most common cause of disability in adults. Hemiparesis commonly occurs after stroke (80%), leaving one side of the body affected. This often decreases independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental ADLs. Many factors affect satisfaction with therapy. Little is known about what affects patients’ willingness to use new high-technology therapy such as Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and Robotic Therapy (RT). Purpose To determine what factors affect willingness to use/interest in trying new forms of high-technology therapy for upper extremity hemiparesis after stroke. Hypothesis It is hypothesized that older stroke survivors will be less willing to use high technology therapy but there will be no difference based on satisfaction with prior therapy. Participant Demographics Average willingness to use high-tech therapy based on percent recovery Average willingness to try new therapy based on age There is increasing evidence supporting the use of technologies such as FES or RT for increased function and recovery for persons with UE hemiparesis after stroke. Little literature exists which examines willingness to try or interest in new forms of therapy. Stroke survivors appear satisfied with therapy they received; 57.1% reported they were “very satisfied”. Older stroke survivors are less willing to try high- technology therapy potentially due to being late adopters of technology. Stroke survivors who are less satisfied with prior therapy and recovery will be more willing to try new forms of therapy. Further research with a larger sample size would show if these findings are generalizable to the population of stroke survivors. Limitations Small sample size. Several ambiguous questions on survey. Other health concerns affecting responses. From this pilot study, it is obvious that therapy should be client-centered. It is important to take into account the following: If the client is an early adopter of technology. If he/she is interested in trying new forms of therapy. What goals he/she wishes to achieve in therapy. Average willingness to try new therapy based on effectiveness of therapy Note: Measured in years