Human interactions remain at the heart of rehabilitation with advanced technology: a practice-embedded longitudinal qualitative study with allied health clinicians

While further high-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of technology in rehabilitation is required, clinicians in this study perceived advanced technology as an adjunct to conventional therapy, with benefits for enhancing therapy dosage, patient engagement, manual handling and providing objective feedback. Important practice-derived considerations for integrating advanced technologies in rehabilitation include: developing clinician technical, clinical reasoning and interpersonal skills, reducing contextual barriers and fostering a positive organisational culture with strong leadership and targeted initiatives to support clinicians. Successful implementation of advanced rehabilitation technologies relies on clinician buy-in to champion change within an enabling person-centered context.