Influence d’un service d’accompagnement sur le taux d’abandon des aides techniques d’accès à l’outil informatique chez les personnes tétraplégiques

Summary :

Context: The use of technological devices is very important in the life of French people. 78% of persons with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) express the need to use them. Combined with the internet, the use of these devices is essential for the social and professional integration of persons with cervical SCI. Nevertheless, the literature showed a high abandonment rate of assistive technological devices used to access the computer.

Objective: The main purpose of this study is to show if an assistive service provided by an occupational therapist (OT) decreases the abandonment rate of the computer access devices.

Method: A questionnaire was submitted to OT and persons with cervical SCI who use computer access devices.

Results: Twenty-seven OT and twenty-two persons with cervical SCI responded to the survey. Among persons with cervical SCI who have benefited from an assistive service, two persons abandoned their computer access devices (18%). Nine persons continued to use it (82%). Among persons with cervical SCI who have not benefited from an assistive service, five persons abandoned their computer access devices (45%) and six persons continued to use them (55%). An assistive service for persons with cervical SCI, provided by an occupational therapist, does not seem to decrease the abandonment rate of computer access devices (p = 0.2).

Conclusion: The survey showed an important abandonment rate of computer access devices. This result must be considered by OT in their recommendation process. Even if the statistical effectiveness of an assistive service could not be shown, it was found to be appreciated by many persons with cervical SCI. It seems interesting to develop these assistive services and to think about new ways of collaborating regarding to the needs of persons with cervical SCI.

Article rédigé par :

• Antoine JACOB

  Ergothérapeute

  ASPMAD – CMS Nord Vaudois
  Centre médico-social d’Yverdon-Est
  En Chamard 55A
  1442 Montagny-près-Yverdon
  Suisse

  antoine_jacob@yahoo.fr

  
  
• Samuel POUPLIN

  Ergothérapeute PhD

  Plate-forme nouvelles technologies
  INSERM U.1179
  Équipes Thérapeutiques innovantes
  et Technologies appliquées aux troubles neuromoteurs, Équipe 3
  Centre d’investigations cliniques et d’innovation (CIC 1429)
  Hôpital Raymond-Poincaré
  92380 Garches

  samuel.pouplin@aphp.fr