Research posterCan Technology-Assisted Toilets Improve Quality of Life for Rehabilitating Stroke Patients? A Pilot Cohort Study
Section snippets
Objective(s)
To investigate whether technology-assisted toilets (TATs, toilets that clean the user with a stream of water) clean effectively and improve the quality of life of rehabilitating stroke patients.
Design
Cohort study.
Setting
Stroke rehabilitation in- and outpatient units at a university-affiliated hospital in Ontario, Canada.
Participants
Fifteen inpatients, 2 outpatients and 12 stroke rehabilitation health care professionals (HCPs).
Interventions
Participants used a TAT for a bowel movement on up to 3 occasions. After each session they completed the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS, a valid published instrument) to evaluate their experiences and were visually inspected for cleanliness by a registered nurse. Participants who did not have a bowel movement tried the cleaning functions and completed the questionnaires but were not inspected for cleanliness. Participants also rated their regular toileting routine with
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Participants’ subjective experiences, evaluated with the PIADS with additional toileting-specific questions; skin hygiene after TAT use, assessed with a cleanliness scale (0–3) designed for the study.
Results
Participants' PIADS scores were higher with the TAT than with their regular toileting routine (p < 0.04). HCPs’ PIADS scores were high but were lower than participants’ scores. TATs cleaned effectively in almost all cases.
Conclusions
In this population, TATs provided adequate toileting hygiene and enhanced participants’ quality of life compared with standard toileting. Health care decision-makers should consider providing TATs to rehabilitating stroke patients.
Key Words
Assistive devices, Rehabilitation, Stroke, Technology, Toileting
Disclosure(s)
None Disclosed.