A Novel Way to Objectively Review Emerging Rehabilitation Technologies

Hayley Cook; Kevin H McLaughlin; Ken Johnson; Preeti Raghavan

doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000002143

A Novel Way to Objectively Review Emerging Rehabilitation Technologies

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Feb 1;102(2S Suppl 1):S75-S78. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002143.

Authors

Hayley Cook¹, Kevin H McLaughlin, Ken Johnson, Preeti Raghavan

Affiliation

¹ From the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland (HC, KHM, KJ); Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (PR); and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland (PR).

PMID: 36634335
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002143

Abstract

Technology-enhanced rehabilitation can improve access to training activities in multiple care delivery settings and may improve patient outcomes. However, the rate at which rehabilitation technology is being developed makes it difficult for healthcare systems to keep pace with the volume of products emerging in this space. Formal processes are needed to help healthcare systems review products as they emerge and to determine whether they should be incorporated into clinical practice. Here, we describe an approach to reviewing emerging rehabilitation technologies as performed by the Center for Emerging Rehabilitation Technology at our institution. Developed using an iterative approach, the rehabilitation technology review process used by the Center for Emerging Rehabilitation Technology team classifies technologies into the following three categories: (1) for clinical deployment, (2) for innovation in product development/product-market fit testing, and (3) for research, for example, a sponsored clinical trial. We describe the processes used to evaluate, categorize, investigate, and integrate rehabilitation technology, share our experience with the review process, and make recommendations for other institutions who may wish to implement rehabilitation technology into clinical practice.