The Co-Strategy Process: introducing technology through interdisciplinary collaboration, so it meets biology in society: A case study regarding the path of Robot-Assisted-Rehabilitation from laboratory to patients in Sweden
2019 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
As part of the current fast growing development of digital technologies, collaborations between professions such as neurosciences, robotics, big data processing and artificial intelligence offer new possibilities for healthcare. For these new technologies to reach clinical practice, there is an increasing need for interdisciplinary organizational work to support decision-making over their introduction. In the field of neurorehabilitation, exoskeletons are an example of a robotic tool that can be used to regain locomotion abilities after a neurological injury. They are part of an umbrella term, Robot-Assisted-Rehabilitation (RAR), that stands for neurological recovery techniques assisted with robotic tools. For these tools, the introduction, evaluation and implementation in clinical practice have not been evaluated. In many cases it is also not taken into account that tools such as rehabilitation robotics are context-dependent. In other words, the needs, opportunities and challenges that come together with working efficiently with this new technology can widely vary between clinics, regions and countries. Lastly, it appears that smaller hospitals consider themselves in need of tools to support their decision-making in the RAR introduction phase. In collaboration with Hälsostaden and Region Skåne, we set out to develop a tool to support Ängelholm Hospital (ÄH) in their decision-making over a test-bed trial of RAR in their clinical setting. A tool that we coined the Co-Strategy Process (CSP), was developed based on identified needs related to this stage of the process, using a blend of interdisciplinary scientific methods. It integrates internal and external interdisciplinary expertise and includes four steps: Preparation, Knowledge Empowerment, Exchange & Development and Synthesis & Report. The current Master thesis presents the development and assessment of the CSP at ÄH. In the present context, it results in a new tool for supporting organizations implementing new technologies, optimized based on its application in a Swedish clinical setting. This tool aims at serving this introductory process, so that new technologies can be implemented meeting the needs of both the clinic and patients.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2019.
Keywords [en]
Interdisciplinary collaboration, RAR, medical technology, neuro-rehabilitation, implemetation
National Category
Other Biological Topics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-388622OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-388622DiVA, id: diva2:1334367
External cooperation
Hälsostaden, Ängelhom Hospital, Skaåne
Educational program
Master Programme in Biology
Presentation
2018-03-22, Uppsala, 09:00 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
Projects
e Rehab-robotic project in collaboration with Uppsala University, Basel University and ETH Zurich2019-09-102019-07-022019-09-10Bibliographically approved