Assistive Technology Need Data Repository
This project searches and collates population-level data on the need and coverage for assistive technology, in the forms of scoping and systematic reviews, as well as a publicly accessible data repository.
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About the project
This project aims to find and present data that informs the population-level need for assistive products (APs). The methods employed include reviewing the literature, extracting data, and entering it into a publicly accessible data repository that will be informative, particularly to stakeholders in the AT sector. Initially, a standardised set of indicators that measure access to APs was developed and applied when extracting findings from relevant literature and was further instrumental when designing the layout of the data repository. These indicators enable the comparison of findings across different study designs and assessment approaches, yielding novel insights between various study settings. Information extracted from the literature and presented in reviews and the repository also align with key terms and definitions utilised in the WHO’s rapid assistive technology assessment survey and the forthcoming World Report on Assistive Technology.
The challenge
A comprehensive understanding of global assistive technology (AT) marketplaces is essential to identify unmet needs, argue for political prioritisation, attract innovation and investment, develop best practices for AT delivery, and ultimately expand access to AT. Yet data on assistive technology (both products and associated services) are challenging to identify and compare, limiting their potential use for informed decision-making. This is the result of barriers at the market level and in the research sector.
A centralised repository of empirical and grey literature would begin to address this multifaceted problem by mapping what has already been done and identifying the learnings that can be applied to settings with knowledge gaps. This foundation can also be used to streamline AT research efforts by identifying underrepresented populations and providing key stakeholders with examples of effective research designs tailored to a particular context. An exhaustive collection of AT literature made accessible by interactive data visualisation and mapping tools, lay summaries, and added detail on study methods, will advance this sector while addressing key data collection gaps.
The research
In the spring of 2020, a systematic literature search was initiated to compile all records of estimates of AP need or coverage at the population level worldwide. A locally hosted data repository was also designed to facilitate the extraction of data. Records receiving approval during the abstract review were included in a scoping review that focused on study design components and high-level data, characterising the body of existing research in the sector. Currently, findings reported in records that have received full-text approval, specifically AP indicators, have been extracted and are being collated in a more focused systematic review. After the conclusion of the main work on this review, the client-side of the data repository will be developed to include interactive visualisations and assessed for accessibility.
The outputs
The scoping review will be published in the RESNA journal in a special edition designed as a companion to the 2022 World Report on Assistive Technology. The systematic review is being prepared for submission to academic journals in September 2021.
The data repository’s client-facing side is under development, with a keen aim to present all extracted data through informative visuals that are interactive and accessible to as many as possible. These include maps, figures, tables, and summaries, with further research on the development of these accessible visuals, different users’ interaction experiences, and the role of AI in generating lay summaries from a set of literature.
Publications
- Scoping Review - Measuring Assistive Technology Supply & Demand. Assistive Technology: The journal of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. (2021)
- Systematic Review - Estimating need and coverage of five priority assistive products: A systematic review of global population-based research (2021)
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