Describing Met and Unmet Needs of Access to Assistive Technology Among Outpatients of a Tertiary Care Center of Pathanamthitta District in Kerala, India- Protocol for A Descriptive Pilot Study
Authors: Mani Sapna Meryl , John Anjum , V Rajan K , George Asha , Betsy Sr Dr , Nath Sanjay , V.R Reshma , R Aysha Rinda K , M Augustine K , David Benjamin 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Assistive Technology includes any assistive device or software and essential service, used to improve, maintain, or increase functional capabilities of those with disabilities. Assistive Technology is part of all essential services like the education, employment, fitness, and leisure industry and also activities required to make daily living manageable like self-care, cooking, reading, or listening. Assistive Technology is a fundamental human right. Addressing the unmet need of assistive products is important for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Very few countries have developed effective national Assistive Technology policies or programs. The gap between the “haves” and “have nots” is very wide in the Assistive Technology industry.
Objective
This research aims to understand the unmet needs and barriers to access to Assistive Technology among a sample of patients attending Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, PMR and Orthopedic departments in a tertiary care center of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala using the WHO rATA questionnaire and to determine the satisfaction levels with the use of Assistive Technology among the above sample of patients, assessed by the WHO rATA questionnaire.”
Methods
After Institutional Review Board review and approval, patients from the Ophthalmology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation(PMR), and Orthopedics will be identified and those who meet the inclusion criteria selected for the study. In the event that participants cannot be contacted during their hospital visits, they will be asked for willingness to participate in the study, through telephone calls, after explaining the details of the study. The WHO rATA questionnaire will be administered in English/Malayalam( vernacular), with their signed consent. “This questionnaire was developed by the World health organization based on existing questionnaires on disability, rehabilitation, and health system studies in consultation with a group of experts. It is an interview format, population based survey tool with seven sections that collect information on demographics, needs for Assistive Technology, supply, demand and satisfaction, along with recommendations from the public. “(1) Telephonic or direct interview methods will be used to collect data.
Results
The study will have 40 participants from each of the departments of Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Orthopedics. After data collection, information will be entered into Excel sheets and analyzed using SPSS 25 software. Numerical variables will be expressed as mean and standard deviations. Categorical variables will be expressed as frequencies with percentages. To study the factors associated with access to Assistive Technology, chi-square tests will be used. This project will have no external funding. We expect to have the results ready by December 2024.
Conclusions
We plan to disseminate the summarized information collected through this study to regional public health conferences and also publish the results of our study in journals. At the same time, we hope to inform the administrators of our hospital about our findings so they can make informed policy decisions for people who require Assistive Technology.
Trial registration
Not applicable