Background: Until recently, qualitative researchers have avoided interviewing participants with brain injuries because of the ethical and practical dilemmas which may arise and because it has been argued that they may not be able to reflect and accurately report upon their experiences. Therefore, little research has been produced which explores the personal experience of living with a brain injury. Recently, however, some researchers have challenged the view that people with brain injuries are unsuitable as interviewees in qualitative research and have, through their own research, highlighted the importance of understanding their views and perspectives in order to provide them with the best care and rehabilitation. Aims: With this in mind, and in line with current calls for more research gaining the brain injured person’s perspective, this study attempted to gain an in depth understanding of what it is like from the brain injured person’s perspective, to live with an acquired brain injury. The study focussed upon the experience of gaining consciousness following a brain injury, the experience of living with permanent memory loss, the experience of gaining awareness of deficits, the experience of losing an identity and adjusting to a new identity, the impact on relationships with friends and family and experiences as an inpatient in a Brain Injury Unit. Sources of strength and coping mechanisms were also explored. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six individuals who had severe acquired brain injuries and were inpatients in a post-acute neuro-rehabilitation unit. The verbatim transcripts of the semi-structured interviews were then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: The analysis produced four master themes. These were: ‘Piecing together the past and becoming aware of the present’, ‘The transition from old self to new self’, ‘Sources of strength and survival’ and ‘Experiences in rehabilitation’. A description of these themes is presented with the corresponding subordinate themes. Conclusions: The clinical implications of the research and guidance for future research are discussed. The study produced a valuable insight into the personal experience of living with a severe acquired brain injury that could be used to inform rehabilitation interventions. The results also indicated that people with acquired brain injuries may experience Post Traumatic Growth.

As part of the current fast growing development of digital technologies, collaborations between professions such as neurosciences, robotics, big data processing and artificial intelligence offer new possibilities for healthcare. For these new technologies to reach clinical practice, there is an increasing need for interdisciplinary organizational work to support decision-making over their introduction. In the field of neurorehabilitation, exoskeletons are an example of a robotic tool that can be used to regain locomotion abilities after a neurological injury. They are part of an umbrella term, Robot-Assisted-Rehabilitation (RAR), that stands for neurological recovery techniques assisted with robotic tools. For these tools, the introduction, evaluation and implementation in clinical practice have not been evaluated. In many cases it is also not taken into account that tools such as rehabilitation robotics are context-dependent. In other words, the needs, opportunities and challenges that come together with working efficiently with this new technology can widely vary between clinics, regions and countries. Lastly, it appears that smaller hospitals consider themselves in need of tools to support their decision-making in the RAR introduction phase. In collaboration with Hälsostaden and Region Skåne, we set out to develop a tool to support Ängelholm Hospital (ÄH) in their decision-making over a test-bed trial of RAR in their clinical setting. A tool that we coined the Co-Strategy Process (CSP), was developed based on identified needs related to this stage of the process, using a blend of interdisciplinary scientific methods. It integrates internal and external interdisciplinary expertise and includes four steps: Preparation, Knowledge Empowerment, Exchange & Development and Synthesis & Report. The current Master thesis presents the development and assessment of the CSP at ÄH. In the present context, it results in a new tool for supporting organizations implementing new technologies, optimized based on its application in a Swedish clinical setting. This tool aims at serving this introductory process, so that new technologies can be implemented meeting the needs of both the clinic and patients. / e Rehab-robotic project in collaboration with Uppsala University, Basel University and ETH Zurich

Lilija Žemaitienė. Pacientų, kuriems taikoma trečiojo lygio neuroreabilitacija, mitybos būklės pokyčių ir su jais susijusių veiksnių vertinimas, magistro baigiamasis darbas/mokslinė vadovė doc. dr. O. Riklikienė; Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas, Medicinos akademija, Slaugos fakultetas, Slaugos ir rūpybos katedra; konsultantė doc. dr. G. Damulevičienė; Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas, Medicinos akademija, Geriatrijos klinika. ‒Kaunas, 2014‒85 p. / Lilija Žemaitienė. Third level neurorehabilitation patiens nutritional status changes and related factors assesment / supervisor Ph. d. O. Riklikienė ; Lithuanian University of Health Sciences; Faculty of Nursing, Department or Nursing and Care; consultant Ph. d. G. Damulevičienė; Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Clinic Geriatric, Kaunas, 2014, – s. 85.