Understanding digital health technology implementation in rehabilitation and development of the Rehabilitation Technologies Implementation model

Technologies comprise a broad range of applications with the potential to transform outcomes for the millions of people requiring rehabilitation each year. Despite this potential, many technologies are not successfully implemented into clinical practice. This study aimed to understand the influences upon rehabilitation technology implementation in the UK’s National Health Service and, using this understanding, develop a comprehensive implementation model to support the adoption of rehabilitation technologies. A multi-methodological approach comprising qualitative enquiry and literature reviews was used to identify, analyse and group key factors that influenced rehabilitation technology implementation. Five key domains comprising Rehabilitation Technology Implementation Model (RiTe) were produced. These domains were: evidence, technology, users, team and organisation. The RiTe model is the first to elucidate the factors that influence implementation of digital rehabilitation technologies into clinical practice and can be used to plan, support and evaluate implementation efforts in rehabilitation, it also provides an opportunity to understand factors which could influence technology uptake in wider healthcare.