Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) in the community
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Acceptability and usability of the Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) for community-based neurological rehabilitation
IRAS ID
330807
Contact name
Kathryn Jarvis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Central Lancashire
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA), a portable digital technology, allows service users to access a range of digital resources tailored to support achievement of their individual rehabilitation goals.
The VERA technology enables a service-user to access: information about their timetable and appointments; videos of exercises and activities; reminders; well-being questionnaires; games; and links to other relevant resources and information. In this study VERA will be housed on an iPad. Staff from a service-user’s rehabilitation team will provide individualised resources through a portal, accessed through VERA, or an alternative internet-enabled device.
This study will evaluate the implementation of the VERA digital technology (the VERA intervention) in two neurological community rehabilitation settings, and explore the adoption of the technology by service users and staff.
‘Non-adoption, Abandonment, and Challenges to the Scale-up, Spread and Sustainability’ (NASSS), a framework designed to evaluate challenges to implementation and adoption of digital technology, will underpin a mixed-methods study.
Up to 20 service-users receiving neurological community rehabilitation will be invited, following consent, to undertake training and use VERA for a maximum of six weeks as part of their rehabilitation. Data collected from service user participants will include: demographic information, health and well-being measures, a questionnaire to evaluate the VERA training, and at the end of six weeks using VERA, a semi-structured interview.
Up to 20 staff working in the community neurological rehabilitation teams, will be invited, following consent, to participate in and evaluate VERA training, and contribute to a focus group to explore their experiences of using VERA in this setting.
The data analysis will aim to explore: the acceptability and usability of VERA in community settings; profiles of service-users along a spectrum of benefitting and not benefitting from VERA; the value stakeholders (staff and service-user) relate to the VERA technology. The findings from this study will inform the future development of VERA.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0321
Date of REC Opinion
3 Dec 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion