Accessibility needs and challenges of a mHealth system for patients with dexterity impairments.

Unlabelled: Purpose State: An innovative mobile health system called iMHere (interactive Mobile Health and Rehabilitation) has been developed at the University of Pittsburgh to support self-care and adherence to self-care regimens for patients with chronic conditions. The goal of this study is to explore and to identify the accessibility needs and preferences of individuals with dexterity impairments when they use the iMHere system.

Method: Participants were asked to perform tasks after a one-week field trial.

Technology transfer of hearing aids to low and middle income countries: policy and market factors.

Purpose: The competitive market advantages of industry and the balancing force of international governmental organizations (IGOs) are examined to identify market and policy in support of sustainable technology transfer of hearing aids to low and middle income countries. A second purpose is to examine the usefulness of findings for other assistive technologies (AT).

Methods: Searches of electronic databases, IGO documents, industry reports and journals were supplemented by informal discussions with industry and IGO staff and audiologists.

The World Health Organization/World Bank's first World Report on Disability.

In June, 2011 at the United Nations (UN) in New York City, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank launched the first World Report on Disability. This short overview of the Report provides information about its purpose, development and content, intended audiences, and outcomes. Special attention is directed to the sections of the Report which address telerehabilitation and information and communication technology.

Telecommunications and internet broadband policy: sorting out the pieces for telerehabilitation.

Technological change is accelerating and with it regulatory upheaval. Most of us agree that providing universal telecommunication services to all our citizens is a worthy ideal. Nonetheless, many of us do not agree that regulation should be the means to make broadband Internet services widely available.

Telerehabilitation: policy issues and research tools.

The importance of public policy as a complementary framework for telehealth, telemedicine, and by association telerehabilitation, has been recognized by a number of experts. The purpose of this paper is to review literature on telerehabilitation (TR) policy and research methodology issues in order to report on the current state of the science and make recommendations about future research needs. An extensive literature search was implemented using search terms grouped into main topics of telerehabilitation, policy, population of users, and policy specific issues such as cost and reimbursement.

Converging, pervasive technologies: chronic and emerging issues and policy adequacy.

This article is a thought piece with the expansive goal of identifying policy facilitators and barriers to the development of usable and accessible advanced information and communications technology for people with disabilities across the age span at the research and development and marketing stages. The working hypothesis is as follows: The lack of participation in and representation of the interests of people with disabilities in the technology resource system is a barrier to availability of affordable consumer goods that enable independence and community integration. Converging, pervasive computing technology, especially in housing applications, is used as a case example, drawing especially from research and development conducted by the National Science Foundation Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center.