Brissago

Upper limb impairments often result from neurological or traumatic injuries such as stroke or brain injuries, affecting patients' ability to perform daily activities and reducing their quality of life. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility and cost of using the ReHandyBot, a robot-assisted therapy device, in rehabilitation clinics and ambulatory settings. The study also compares supervised, minimally supervised, and unsupervised therapy to understand their impact on therapy dose and cost-effectiveness. The ReHandyBot device supports hand rehabilitation by allowing movements like forearm rotation and finger bending. It uses virtual reality and haptic feedback to provide exercises tailored to each patient, adjusting difficulty throughout therapy. Therapy sessions vary in length and frequency based on individual needs and are scheduled according to therapist instructions. Patients may receive supervised training initially, and based on progress, may transition to group or unsupervised sessions. Participants will attend sessions using the ReHandyBot alongside their usual therapy. Data collected includes demographics, medical conditions, therapy dose, and device usage, with no extra evaluations beyond routine clinical assessments. Patients will complete questionnaires about usability and experience at the final session. The study will monitor costs, therapy session details, patient-to-therapist ratios, and device use over approximately five years to assess feasibility and cost-benefit.

Researchers are evaluating the feasibility and usability of the ReHandyBot, a robotic device designed for hand rehabilitation after stroke. The study aims to see if stroke patients can safely use the ReHandyBot for therapy without supervision, first in a rehabilitation clinic and then at home. The goal is to increase therapy dose and potentially improve hand function recovery with minimal extra effort for therapists and the healthcare system. The study has two main phases. First, participants complete a familiarization phase in the clinic, where therapists guide them through supervised and minimally-supervised therapy sessions using the ReHandyBot. This phase lasts two weeks with five 45-minute sessions per week, including three exercises each session lasting 10 to 15 minutes. After this, if participants are deemed capable, they continue training independently without supervision both in the clinic until discharge and then at home for six weeks. If not ready for unsupervised robotic therapy, participants receive a booklet of exercises to perform independently. Participants are involved in therapy sessions using the ReHandyBot, with researchers measuring the therapy dose during the six weeks of unsupervised home therapy. This includes tracking the minutes and repetitions of therapy performed and the percentage change in therapy time. The study also evaluates how usable the device is, including the user interface, exercises, and gaming environment. The overall participation spans the familiarization phase and the unsupervised home training period, with safety and usability closely monitored throughout.