Assistive technology outcomes research - Challenges met and yet unmet

This article highlights the special requirements, achievements, and yet unm et challenges of assessing the outcomes of assistive technology services. T he current status of this research is considered from the standpoint of dev elopmental stages that seem to characterize many areas of outcomes research . Those stages include exhortation, sober appraisal, infrastructure buildin g, and "getting on with it." The status of measuring assistive technology o utcomes is described, and efforts to develop new measures are critically re viewed. Three as yet unmet challenges are discussed that are faced alike by assistive technology outcomes research and by rehabilitation outcomes rese arch in general. They are as follows: (1) operationalizing a multiple-stake holder approach to outcomes research; (2) formulating adequate treatment th eories; and (3) creating shared databases.