Electronic aids to daily living: be able to do what you want

Abstract

Purpose. This study explores the experiences of Irish people with high cervical spinal cord injuries living with electronic aids to daily living (EADL) and the meaning attributed to such systems in the context of participation in everyday life.

Method. Qualitative methodology using a phenomenological approach was used to explore the phenomenon of living with EADL. Data were collected using four focus groups of users and nonusers of EADL (n = 15). All participants had high cervical spinal cord injuries (C3-5). Groups were video recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using descriptive phenomenological analysis.

Findings. Findings revealed key elements of the meaning of living with EADL. Two key themes, time alone and changed relationships are described. These contribute to the super ordinate theme of autonomy. Findings suggest that participants perceived improvements in both anticipated and actual lived experiences with EADL. Themes are interrelated and together represent a summary of the experience of living with environmental controls. The themes described are similar to those found in other spinal injury studies relating to quality of life.

Conclusions. Findings highlight differences in life experiences for those with and without EADL and provides motivation to address this difference. Such insights are valuable for both users and providers of EADL.

Keywords:

• Environmental control systems (ECS)
• electronic assistive technology (EAT)
• qualitative inquiry
• occupational therapy
• cervical spinal cord injury

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the participants and their caregivers for giving so generously of their time, some of whom experienced great inconvenience and some individual difficulties to attend the focus groups, without their knowledge, views and tenacity this study would not have been possible; Spinal Injuries Ireland for their ongoing assistance; Catherine Logan and Anne Marie Casey, National Rehabilitation Hospital who acted as research assistants; Elizabeth Steggels, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada and Dr. Jacinta McElligott, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Hospital, for their ongoing support.

Declaration of interest

This research has been completed as part of a Doctoral Thesis supported by the Health Research Board, Ireland, which sponsors the first author's HRB research fellowship for the Clinical Therapies (CTFP-06-15).