Three new rehabilitation robots are helping patients at University of Canberra Hospital in their recovery journey following serious neurological injuries.
A joint venture between Canberra Health Services and the University of Canberra, the impressive trio of upper and lower limb rehabilitation robotic devices means the University of Canberra Hospital is only the second public facility of its kind in Australia to offer this breadth of services.
Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the state-of-the-art robotic equipment were an important part of supporting the health infrastructure our growing city needs, so Canberrans can access more health services, closer to home.
"Robotics is an exciting additional tool we can now use for treating patients and helping them improve function after serious neurological injuries, including stroke," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
"The rehabilitation team has been trained by world experts in the use of these robots, to help refine their skills in robotics rehabilitation and identify the most effective ways to build the robots into client treatment.
"The use of robotics in rehabilitation is still reasonably new, so we are working in partnership with the University of Canberra through research projects to build on the body of knowledge on the most effective use of robotics in rehabilitation."
Students studying Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy at the University of Canberra will learn about robotics as part of their coursework and be involved in ongoing research.
The university's current Honours students will also be interviewing clinicians and patients about their experiences using these robots to help improve treatment and build on research.
"It's exciting to see this ACT collaboration pioneering new technologies and being at the forefront of new research. Not only will this help us provide the best rehabilitation treatment options possible for our patients, but we will also be an example to others who follow and can benefit from our research," said Minister Stephen-Smith.
The three robots were funded by the ACT Government and the Canberra Hospital Foundation, who have supported the new equipment through generous donors and the Canberra Hospital Foundation's community partnership with GIO.
Minister Stephen-Smith said the announcement built on the ACT Government's investment in the health workforce, including allied health workers. This includes providing financial assistance and paid placements to allied health students and investing more in the professional development of staff.
Quote attributable to Professor Stuart Semple, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, University of Canberra:
"The goal of this partnership in robotics rehabilitation is to see the technology being incorporated, where appropriate, into clinical services that will enhance patient outcomes.
"The University of Canberra is excited to be partnering with Canberra Health Services in bringing innovative solutions through robotics rehabilitation to the ACT community to enhance learning and research opportunities for our students and researchers.
"By embedding elements of robotics rehabilitation into the University's relevant course curricula, our students will be exposed to this innovative technology that will enhance their learning outcomes and career opportunities in the health workforce of the future."
