The association between perceived and observed ability to use everyday technology in people of working age with ABI

Abstract

Objective: Everyday technology (ET), including computers and automated telephone services, is increasingly required for everyday functioning. However, people with acquired brain injury (ABI) may have difficulty with ET use. To design interventions to support ET use, further knowledge of how to assess dimensions of such use is needed. Methods: This study investigated the relationship between the perceived difficulty of ET use (self-reported using the short version of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire, S-ETUQ) and observed ability to use ET (observed using the Management of Everyday Technology Assessment, META) in a sample of people with ABI (n = 81). Data were analysed using a Rasch measurement model, and person measures of perceived difficulty and observed ability to use ET were identified and correlated. Results and conclusions. The person measures had a correlation of 0.49 (p < 0.001). In groups of different severity levels after ABI, significant associations were found in the moderate (0.36) and severe (0.47) disability groups. In the good recovery group, only a non-significant correlation was found (0.21). This indicates that the S-ETUQ and the META measure different but complementary dimensions of ET use. Hence, the assessments are proposed to be used together in clinical practice to more fully understand the ability of people with ABI to use ET.

Key words::

• IADL
• assessment
• ADL

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants who shared their experiences concerning the use of everyday technology. Furthermore, they would like to thank the occupational therapists who recruited and assessed the participants: Ann-Charlotte Kassberg, Kristina Johansson, and Anita Levén at the County Council of Norrbotten. The study was supported by grants from Luleå University of Technology, the Promobilia Foundation, and the Strategic Research Health Care Programme of Umeå University.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.