Efficacy of a Micro-Prompting Technology in Reducing Support Needed by People With Severe Acquired Brain Injury in Activities of Daily Living: A Randomized Control Trial

Citation

O'Neill B, Best C, O'Neill L, Ramos SDS & Gillespie A (2018) Efficacy of a Micro-Prompting Technology in Reducing Support Needed by People With Severe Acquired Brain Injury in Activities of Daily Living: A Randomized Control Trial. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 33 (5), pp. E33-E41. https://journals.lww.com/headtraumarehab/Citation/2018/09000/Efficacy_of_a_Micro_Prompting_Technology_in.13.aspx

Abstract
Objective:  To evaluate the effectiveness of an automated interactive prompting technology in supporting the morning routine of persons with acquired brain injury. The morning routine included maintaining personal hygiene and dressing.  Setting:  An inpatient neurorehabilitation hospital.  Participants:  Persons with acquired brain injury who required prompting when following their morning routine (n = 24), but were not limited by physical disability or dysphasia, took part in the study. Participants (67% with traumatic brain injury) had impairment on indices of memory and executive function.  Design:  A randomized control trial evaluated the effect of an automated interactive micro-prompting device on the number of prompts by trained staff required for successful completion of the morning routine.  Main Measures:  Study-specific checklists assessed sequence performance, errors, and verbal prompts required over baseline, rehabilitation as usual, intervention, and return to baseline conditions.  Results:  The intervention significantly reduced the support required to complete the task compared with usual rehabilitation.  Conclusions:  Micro-prompting technology is an effective assistive technology for cognition, which reduces support needs in people with significant cognitive impairments.

Journal
Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation: Volume 33, Issue 5

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Dr Catherine Best

Lecturer Statistician, Institute for Social Marketing