The ATOMS Project is a five year assistive technology (AT) outcomes and
impacts project funded in part by the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) under the Disability and Rehabilitation
Research Projects (DRRP) program. The ATOMS Project seeks to research,
develop, and recommend the next generation AT outcomes measurement system.
What are AT outcomes?
AT outcomes are data and information that tell us about use/nonuse,
success, impact, and costs related to AT interventions. Different people
and groups may want and use different types of outcomes, from broad
comparisons between AT and other interventions, to success/failure rates
of specific devices.
Why did NIDRR create the AT outcomes DRRPs?
The NIDRR priority indicates that the purpose of the two AT outcomes
projects is to "determine the efficacy and utility of AT and the
implications for abandonment of AT devices." The priority also
expresses concerns that outcomes measurement in AT are lagging those
in other fields, and that AT outcomes have not kept pace with the growth
of the field of assistive technology.
Who is part of the ATOMS Project Consortium?
The project is based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The consortium
includes AT experts and stakeholders from across the country, including
the Ohio Department of Education, University at Buffalo (SUNY), the
University of Wisconsin-Stout, Warren and Associates, Steve Mendelsohn,
Helen Hayes Hospital, and the University of Colorado.
Why do we care about AT Outcomes? The positive outcomes of AT seem
obvious.
Those of us who use or provide AT services know by experience that AT
works. However, very little of the value of using AT has been empirically
documented. Measures and research methodologies to compare AT device
interventions (devices and services) are greatly needed, and it is very
difficult to isolate the impact of AT from the many other concurrent
interventions people use in the natural setting. A comprehensive AT
outcomes system will contribute to a more evidenced-based practice.
Where are AT outcome measures needed?
Outcome measures are needed for the wide variety of settings in which
AT is used and provided, including: hospitals; vocational rehabilitation
and employment; schools and special education services; universities
and colleges; long-term care; independent living centers; AT device
developers and suppliers; and public/private AT service programs.
Can't we just use existing outcomes instruments?
Few AT outcomes measures have been fully developed. The field is
still predominantly using "homemade" checklists and tools
that help with AT device selection, but that do not contribute to outcomes
analysis. It is essential that we use the best measures available. Today,
this may mean using current tools and procedures. Tomorrow, we hope
that robust outcomes measurement will be more fully integrated in the
daily protocol of AT practice.
What is the ATOMS Project working on right now?
The ATOMS Project has completed a multi-faceted needs assessment including
15 field scans, focus groups, and database analyses. Eleven technical
reports are posted on the ATOMS Project website documenting these
efforts. These include a comprehensive discussion of legal issues
related to AT outcomes. The ATOMS Project also reviewed more than
50 currently available AT assessment instruments and has created
a library available to clinicians in national workshops. The ATOMS
Project also partners with the State of Wisconsin Department of Vocational
Rehabilitation with an AT outcomes assessment project linking statewide
data and 4 stakeholder surveys to the RSA data. We are also studying "AT
abandonment" and are partnered with the Wisconsin Wheelchair
Recycling Program, a program that was initially funded by the State
of Wisconsin DNR to keep discarded equipment out of landfills.
What is the ATOMS Project vision of its end products?
We see the end product including recommendations for a comprehensive
system that includes what data is collected, how it is collected, and
how it is analyzed. The needs assessment will help us to more fully
develop this vision.
How are the ATOMS Project and the CATOR project related?
NIDRR funds two assistive technology (AT) outcomes and impacts projects.
The ATOMS Project and CATOR (Consortium on Assistive Technology Outcomes
Research, Duke University) are working cooperatively to extend AT outcomes
knowledge and improve AT outcomes measurement tools. CATOR can be contacted
at www.atoutcomes.com
How is the ATOMS Project funded?
This project is funded in part by the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR, www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/)
of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitation Services, under Grant H133A010403. The opinions herein
are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the
U.S. Department of Education.
