title: Assistive devices for people affected by leprosy: underutilised facilitators of functioning?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People affected by leprosy and their families face social and economic problems. The focus of interventions is often on prevention of disabilities and socioeconomic rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to explore to what extent the potential of assistive devices to facilitate activities and participation of people affected by leprosy has been utilised.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published literature was reviewed and the findings analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considerable attention has been given to the protecting role of assistive devices. The focus of assistive devices facilitating functioning has been on mobility aspects of self-care and domestic life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that the potential of assistive devices to facilitate activities and participation in life areas such as work and employment is still waiting to be utilised on a broad scale.
authors.affiliation: Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Sweden. johan.borg@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Stig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors