The Impact of Consumer Involvement on Satisfaction With and Use of Assistive Technology
By Martin, Jay K.; Martin, Liam G.; Stumbo, Norma J.; Morrill, Joshua H.; Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 225-242Publication Date: May 2011
Exploratory study examined the relationships between consumers’ involvement in the pre-purchase decision making process, their perceptions of feeling informed, their use of, and their degree of satisfaction with assistive technology (AT). The study used a project-specific web survey to recruit individuals with disabilities who used AT via online disability forums and independent living centers. Recruitment resulted in a sample of 145 individuals aged 17 to 70 years with a wide variety of disabilities who used a range of AT and were geographically dispersed. AT use among respondents included mobility aids (73.1 percent), aids for daily living (53.8 percent) specially modified vehicles (38.6 percent), adapted computer software and hardware (29 percent), screen readers (22.8 percent), environmental controls (20.7 percent), listening devices (13.1 percent), communication devices (11 percent), and respiratory assistance devices (7.6 percent). Survey results showed a significant relationship between feeling informed and being satisfied with an AT device. Feeling that personal needs were not assessed led to lower satisfaction, while feeling informed resulted from a number of different factors. Lack of consumer involvement in the pre-purchase decision making process led to somewhat greater rates of abandonment in some categories of AT, including respiratory assistance devices, listening devices, screen readers, and communication devices.
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Limited (Website:http://taylorandfrancis.org)
International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.isprm.org )
