Need and access to assistive technology in Italy: results from the rATA survey.
Purpose: This study assessed the prevalence of assistive products need, use, and access in Italy using the rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) tool. Materials and Methods: Conducted from June to September 2021, the survey involved a random sample of 10167 Italian citizens. Stratified sampli...
| Published in: | Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology Vol. 20; no. 7; pp. 2327 - 2339 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Oct2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=188362612&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 188362612 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 17483107 1X04 jtl: Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology issn: 17483107 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Oct2025 vid: 20 iid: 7 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 188362612 185383908 188362612 188362612 10.1080/17483107.2025.2503905 188362612 ppf: 2327 ppct: 12 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Need and access to assistive technology in Italy: results from the rATA survey. aug: au: Desideri, Lorenzo Magni, Riccardo Guerreschi, Massimo Bitelli, Claudio Hoogerwerf, Evert-Jan Vaccaro, Concetta Taruscio, Domenica De Santis, Marta Romeo, Rosa Immacolata Capuano, Elena Ilaria D'Avenio, Giuseppe Morelli, Sandra Daniele, Carla Meli, Paola Rossi, Mirko Pirrera, Antonia Grigioni, Mauro Giansanti, Daniele affil: AIAS Bologna onlus, Bologna, Italy sug: subj: Assistive Technology Utilization Health Services Accessibility Needs Assessment Clinical Assessment Tools Persons with Disabilities Psychosocial Factors Assistive Technology Devices Supply and Distribution Human Funding Source Male Female Infant, Newborn Infant Child, Preschool Child Adolescence Adult Middle Age Aged Aged, 80 and Over Italy Questionnaires Prevalence Smartphone Eyeglasses Logistic Regression Quality Assessment Aging Health Policy Patient Satisfaction Random Sample Stratified Random Sample Cross Sectional Studies Descriptive Statistics Comparative Studies Odds Ratio Confidence Intervals Chi Square Test Mann-Whitney U Test Kruskal-Wallis Test Post Hoc Analysis Infant, Newborn: birth-1 month Infant: 1-23 months Child, Preschool: 2-5 years Child: 6-12 years Adolescent: 13-18 years Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over Male Female ab: Purpose: This study assessed the prevalence of assistive products need, use, and access in Italy using the rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) tool. Materials and Methods: Conducted from June to September 2021, the survey involved a random sample of 10167 Italian citizens. Stratified sampling was used to ensure that the sample involved was representative of the Italian population. A combination of Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) and Computer Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) was used. Results: The estimated prevalence of need in the population resulted of 52,6% with 45,8% reporting their needs as met and 6,7% experiencing unmet needs. Use and need were higher among older adults (60+ years). Logistic regression indicated that respondents aged 60+ (OR: 3,3; 95% CI: 2,8-3,8) and respondents reporting more severe functional difficulties (OR: 23,9; 95% CI: 19,4-29,6) are more likely to be users of assistive products. Younger respondents (0-17 years old) reported using on average more assistive products (M = 2,7; SD = 2,9) than adults (M = 1,6; SD = 1,7) and older users (M = 1,6; SD = 1,5) (all ps <.001). Notably, mobile digital devices (smartphones/tablets) are the second most used assistive products, preceded by spectacles and followed by pill organizers. Conclusions: This study provides essential baseline data to inform policies and improve AT access nationwide. The results highlight the importance of recognizing mainstream digital devices, such as commercially available smartphones, as legitimate assistive products. Secondary analyses will contribute to strengthen the understanding of factors associated to successful AT provision. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: AT needs in Italy are highest among older adults, especially for functional limitations related to aging. Children and adolescents use more AT products than other groups. Mainstream devices like smartphones are frequently used as AT solutions. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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