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. 2021 Oct 6;18(19):10477.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910477.

Assistive Technology Provider Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Louise Puli  1 , Natasha Layton  2 , Daniel Mont  3 , Kylie Shae  1 , Irene Calvo  1 , Keith D Hill  2 , Libby Callaway  2   4 , Emma Tebbutt  1 , Abner Manlapaz  3 , Inge Groenewegen  5 , Diana Hiscock  6
Affiliations

Assistive Technology Provider Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Louise Puli et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Globally, health systems face challenges in the delivery of assistive technology (AT) and only 10% of people are currently able to access the assistive products they need. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an uncharted path for AT providers to navigate, placing them under pressure to be agile and rapidly adapt. This article, part of a series, explores the experiences and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on AT providers and aims to inform how AT providers can be better prepared and supported in the future. A mixed methods approach was used to gather service data and perspectives from AT providers via a survey. A total of 37 responses were received from 18 countries. Service data showed extensive service disruption throughout 2020. Thematic analysis suggested significant changes to routine AT service delivery including rapid momentum towards home-based, decentralised, and digital services for which many AT providers were not prepared. Providers were required to make difficult decisions and deliver services in new ways to balance meeting demands, complying with government restrictions, and ensuring the safety of staff and clients. Few but important positives were expressed including the belief that expanded capacity to use remote and digital AT service delivery would remain useful in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; aging; assistive products; assistive technology; disability; health systems; personnel; policy; service provision.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Thematic coding tree.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of responses received classified by assistive technology type. Note some services provide more than one type of assistive technology.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentage of responses that reported AT service impacts due to COVID-19 each month from January 2020 to March 2021.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Percentage reduction in AT service attendance in 2020 compared to 2019 for new clients and total clients.
Figure 5
Figure 5
COVID-19 related impacts on assistive technology providers.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Things that assisted in responding to COVID-19 to maintain assistive technology services.
Figure 7
Figure 7
WHO’s 5P model for AT systems strengthening.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Summary of recommendations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Smith E.M., MacLachlan M., Ebuenyi I.D., Holloway C., Austin V. Developing inclusive and resilient systems: COVID-19 and assistive technology. Disabil. Soc. 2020;36:1–4.
    1. Smith E.M., Toro Hernandez M.L., Ebuenyi I.D., Syurina E.V., Barbareschi G., Best K.L., Danemayer J., Oldfrey B., Ibrahim N., Holloway C., et al. Assistive Technology Use and Provision During COVID-19: Results From a Rapid Global Survey. Int. J. Health Policy Manag. 2020;X:1–10. doi: 10.34172/IJHPM.2020.210. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization . Whose Life Matters? Challenges, Barriers and Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons with Disability and Their Care Givers. World Health Organization—Regional Office for South-East Asia; New Delhi, India: Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
    1. WHO . Policy Brief: Access to Assistive Technology. World Health Organisation; Geneva, Switzerland: 2020. [(accessed on 22 August 2021)]. Available online: https://www.who.int/phi/implementation/assistive_technology/phi_gate/en/

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