Contract Activities: Clinical Evaluation of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
Many rehabilitation and assistive technology devices are marketed, but few have been tested to determine their performance and effectiveness. Manufacturers are often interested in having their products evaluated by an independent facility with experience in assistive and rehabilitation technology. Furthermore, pre-production prototypes can be evaluated with the purpose of altering product design to increase product effectiveness.
Clinical evaluation methods basically involve allowing a person to use the product for a period of time and then collecting performance measurements and feedback on the experience. Performance can be measured using controlled tests as well as real-world evaluations. As such, evaluation can include short- and long-term timeframes. Testing procedures will be determined based upon the objectives as defined by manufacturers. The REARLab has extensive expertise in defining research protocols and product evaluation methodologies to collect valid performance measurements.
Contact the REAR Lab at rearlab@nulldesign.gatech.edu
