Deans' stroke musings: Pilot feasibility study of implementing 3D-printed assistive devices through user-provider collaboration in hospital-based stroke rehabilitation

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Pilot feasibility study of implementing 3D-printed assistive devices through user-provider collaboration in hospital-based stroke rehabilitation

Will your doctors and therapists look into this?

Pilot feasibility study of implementing 3D-printed assistive devices through user-provider collaboration in hospital-based stroke rehabilitation

Akiko Yanai ,Chidawan Suyakong ,

Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

This pilot study explored the feasibility of implementing 3D-printed assistive devices in a hospital-based stroke rehabilitation setting.

Methods: Feasibility was evaluated across four domains: acceptability, demand, implementation, and limited efficacy testing. Data were collected from both users and providers. Stroke survivors in the intervention group (n = 15) received a 3D-printed assistive technology intervention emphasising user-centered design and user-provider collaboration. Historical controls (n = 31) receiving usual care were identified from medical records. Propensity score matching generated nine matched pairs for comparison. User outcomes included the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the Vitality Index (VI), while occupational therapists’ perspectives (n = 10) as providers were assessed using the Japanese version of the modified Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire for 3D-printing technology (TAM-J).

Results:

Good acceptability was demonstrated, as all stroke survivors in the intervention group consistently used 3D-printed assistive devices in daily activities, and occupational therapists reported positive technology acceptance on the TAM-J. Strong demand was observed among stroke survivors with moderate to severe upper-extremity impairment. Regarding implementation, there were no dropouts, and user-centered devices were adopted through user-provider collaboration. In limited efficacy testing, no additional improvements in the FIM and VI scores were observed compared with controls. However, the intervention helped stroke survivors address their daily challenges.

Conclusion:

These findings suggested that integrating 3D-printed assistive devices into clinical workflows could be feasible. Future research needs to employ sensitive, user-centered outcome measures and collaborate with designers or rehabilitation engineers to improve the efficiency and quality of device development.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

Although 3D printing technology facilitates user-provider collaboration in designing assistive devices, its implementation in hospital-based stroke rehabilitation still faces several challenges. A 3D-printed assistive technology intervention helped stroke survivors address their daily challenges, particularly those with moderate to severe upper-extremity impairment. The high level of acceptance among occupational therapists may promote user-provider collaboration and the development of 3D-printed assistive devices that support stroke survivors’ functional independence.