Development of an assistive technology feature for a patient with brachial plexus injury

Abstract

One of the daily challenges for people with Brachial Plexus Injury (BPI) is to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) successfully, from simple activities such as dressing up, to more complex activities, like preparing a meal. Thereby these people can benefit from Assistive Technologies (ATs), which are defined as any item, equipment or product, whether purchased commercially, modified or customized that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals. The purpose of this study is to report the development of an AT resource for a patient with BPI from the clinic of Occupational Therapy School of the Federal University of Paraíba. Firstly, an evaluation was performed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to identify the patient’s needs. After the development of the product, user training was carried out in order to test its effectiveness. A re-evaluation process has been conducted, with the reapplication of COPM to compare the results. According to the results it is possible to consider that the resource is effective, increasing the satisfaction of the patient in performing the activity that was affected.