| Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of staff who worked directly or
indirectly with a telerobot for the treatment of dysphagia in stroke patients. Methods: A sample
size of 45 clinical staff from Providence Portland Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, and
Providence Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Oregon, who either had or had not experienced
working with a telerobot for the use of dysphagia assessment provided information through a
survey sent to their work email addresses. The survey consisted of 18 questions, including
demographic information and opinions regarding past or potential use of a telerobot for the
assessment of dysphagia. Results: Data from the survey questions were statistically analyzed
using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, resulting in several inferences in regards to staff
perceptions, potential use, and training of staff for future use of a telerobot in the health care
setting. The primary findings were that staff perceptions of a telerobot and training support
further development of the telerobot for dysphagia assessment.
Keywords: Telehealth, telerobot, telepractice, teleswallow, speech language pathology,
dysphagia, speech therapy |