Open Collections

Tsai, Chih-Ting (Gina)

University of British Columbia

Introduction: Assistive technology can help individuals with disabilities compensate for limited function, increase their independence, and enhance their quality of life. However, few studies have explored the perceptions of health professionals who prescribe assistive technology to immigrants in Canada. There is some evidence to suggest that immigrants face challenges in acquiring assistive technology due to a lack of the understanding of dominant/Canadian culture, language barriers, and limited funding. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this study is to understand prescribers’ experiences with assistive technology provision to immigrants. The objectives of this study are to: (1) understand the assistive technology prescribers’ approaches to services delivery among immigrants who are unable to communicate with prescribers in their native language; (2) identify the challenges that therapists experience with the provision of assistive technology to this population; and (3) identify potential solutions to improve access, uptake, and usage of assistive technology. The study drew upon the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to describe the prescription process and compare the findings for discussion. Methods: In this interpretive description study, semi-structured interviews were used as the primary method of data collection. Twelve prescribers from diverse professions with expertise in assisting immigrants who could not communicate in their native language, were interviewed once for an average of 50 minutes and a total of around 10 hours. The qualitative data was analyzed following interpretive description procedures. Results: I collected data from 12 participants (Male: n=5, Female: n=7), and identified three main themes. “Aspiring to the client-centered provision of assistive technology” described how prescribers prioritized the goals and needs of their clients during the prescription process. “Struggling with linguistic, cultural, and systemic issues” included challenges faced by participants as they strove to adopt a client-centered approach. “Implementing stopgap solutions” explored the strategies employed and proposed by participants. Conclusion: This study aimed to understand the experiences of prescribers in prescribing assistive technology to immigrants. These insights could eventually help to develop strategies to improve immigrants' access to assistive technology, ultimately enhancing their independence and quality of life.

Text

2024-11-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/86648

Rehabilitation Sciences

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/