Usage problems and improvement needs of the clinical upper extremity rehabilitation devices in taiwan

There are many existing upper extremity rehabilitation devices (UERD) for various purposes, not all of them meet the practical needs of rehabilitation therapy. This study aims to survey the UERD used in Taiwan hospitals. The types, usage problems and improvement needs of the existing devices are categorized and thus possible design improvements proposed. Semi-structured interviews and field observations were conducted surveys to collect data. Field interviews with 10 senior professional occupational therapists in 10 medical institutions, and to observe the usage status of patients. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) 10 UERD are the most commonly used in hospitals in Taiwan. They are used for movements in the shoulder and elbow positions. 2) The main usage problems of the 10 existing UERD are the Base unstable, the operable components are easily damaged, and the components are not adjustable to fit user’s operating height; the main improvement needs are all functions adjustable, and improved device durability. This study combines the clinical use of upper extremity rehabilitation device and professional status of occupational therapists with the views of patients, improve the design put forward recommendations to provide to the therapist, rehabilitation device designers, manufacturers and other experts during the rehabilitation development of device design or re-design reference.