A questionnaire-based exploration on therapists’ perception on technology-assisted rehabilitation

The implementation of Technology-Assisted Rehabilitation (TAR) introduces both challenges and opportunities to enhance patient-therapist interactions. However, the therapist's perspective on TAR often remains understudied. This study aims to address this gap by investigating therapist perceptions of Robot-Assisted Gait Training (RAGT) by developing a specific questionnaire. The study is a real-life observational and multicentric pilot study. First, a multidisciplinary board was created to develop the questionnaire. Second, an observational pilot study was conducted, where the questionnaire was administered to therapists involved in RAGT working with a lower-limb robotic device for gait disorders. Thirty-two questionnaires were collected. Results indicate favourable perceptions among therapists in terms of device's usefulness, ease of use and safety. However, despite the overall positive response trend, therapist engagement showed more variability. The findings underscore the need of reconceptualizing therapist contribution in TAR, for optimal integration into clinical practice and to improve patient-therapist-device interaction.