Development of the home arm movement stroke training environment for rehabilitation (HAMSTER) and evaluation by clinicians

Abstract

Stroke commonly results in severe impairment of upper extremity function, which limits independence in activities of daily living. Continued and frequent use of the affected limb can result in increased function. However, long term access to therapy is frequently limited, and home exercise compliance is low. The following paper presents the design and clinician evaluation of a Kinect based home therapy system called Home Arm Movement Stroke Training Environment (HAMSTER). The development, which focused on reducing commonly observed impairments after stroke, is discussed. Additionally the system was evaluated by twelve clinicians (occupational and physical therapists) with an average of 18 years of clinical experience with individuals with chronic stroke. The clinicians were asked about commonly prescribed home exercises, and for feedback about the HAMSTER system. Although only two of the clinicians had used the Kinect previously, the clinicians reported good usability and general satisfaction with the system. All of the clinicians felt that HAMSTER would be beneficial for individuals with chronic stroke. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.