title: Motivation, expectations, and usability of a driven gait orthosis in stroke patients and their therapists.
abstract: In the development of efficacious driven gait orthoses (DGO), it is an added value to consider patients' and therapists' perspectives concerning robot-assisted gait training (RAGT). A better understanding of these issues may improve the process of care and outcome.
  
  
  
  This study aimed to examine stroke patients' motivation and expectations of RAGT, and therapists' expectations and perspectives on the usability of RAGT. Additionally, the differences in expectations between stroke patients and their therapists were analyzed.
  
  
  
  A cross sectional, multi-center, three-group trial was conducted. Included were (1) stroke patients who have experience with RAGT (i.e. the stroke user group), (2) stroke patients who have no experience with RAGT (i.e. the stroke non-user group), and (3) therapists who have experience with RAGT (i.e. the therapist user group). The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ), and Usefulness, Satisfaction and Ease of Use Questionnaire (USE) were used. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted.
  
  
  
  In total, 46 subjects were assessed (stroke user group: n = 23, stroke non-user group: n = 14, therapist user group: n = 9). IMI subscale scores ranged from 42 to 88%. Mean credibility and expectancy ranged from 80 to 85% and 57 to 72%, respectively, with no significant differences between groups. USE subscale scores ranged from 61 to 72%.
  
  
  
  Stroke user group patients seem quite motivated to train with the DGO and both patients and therapists reasonably believe that this training could improve gait functioning. Therapists are moderately satisfied with the usability of the DGO, but there is room for improvement with respect to usefulness and ease of use.
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|b Center for Neurosciences , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|c BruBotics , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swinnen
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|b Center for Neurosciences , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|c BruBotics , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lefeber
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Willaert
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Fallon
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Neef
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bruyndonckx
authors.affiliation: d Centre of Expertise - Care in Innovation , PXL University College , Hasselt , Belgium.|e Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, REVAL - Rehabilitation Research Center, BIOMED - Biomedical Research Institute , Hasselt University , Hasselt , Belgium.
authors.forename: Annemie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spooren
authors.affiliation: f St. Ursula Rehabilitation Centre , Jessa Hospital , Herk-de-Stad , Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michielsen
authors.affiliation: g AZ Delta Hospital , Roeselare , Belgium.
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramon
authors.affiliation: a Rehabilitation Research - Neurological Rehabilitation, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|b Center for Neurosciences , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.|c BruBotics , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerckhofs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D009989:Orthotic Devices / Q000592:standards*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D059825:Physical Therapists; D012371:Robotics; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Robot-assisted gait rehabilitation; credibility; driven gait orthosis; expectations; motivation; stroke; therapist; usability