Project page: Research Centre for Quick and Optimal Recovery
CVA project at Syntein
High-quality stroke care should be properly organised and provided by experienced, multidisciplinary
teams. In the acute phase, this will be at the hospital’s stroke unit. In the sub-acute phase, if necessary
the patient will transition to rehabilitation in the community or in outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation
facilities (where applicable geriatric rehabilitation facilities). The chronic phase might require community
care. The quality of care standards for stroke patients has been defined for stroke services in the
Netherlands (Zorgstandaard CVA, 2012). Syntein’s community care facilities are part of the stroke
services that are provided by Pantein/Syntein in partnership. They asked the Research Centre for Quick
and Optimal Recovery to evaluate their stroke care services in terms of the prescribed quality of care
aspects and to advise the stroke facility on future developments to improve stroke care services.
Contact: Associate Professor of Neurorehabilitation Dr Esther Steultjens
Contact details: e esther.steultjens@han.nl t +31 24 353 04 19
Embedded research project: motor learning and motor control
Information about the quantity and quality of movements helps understand the extent to which
movements are controlled. This information is necessary to indicate client-specific interventions.
Physiotherapists have access to valid instruments for assessing quantity. However, suitable methods for
measuring quality are lacking. HAN University of Applied Sciences and Radboud UMC will work together
to remedy this shortcoming by using the draft version of Radboud UMC’s Observable Movement Quality
scale (OMQ scale) to develop an end product for the professional practice and education. The focus will
be on psychometric properties of the OMQ scale for children and young adults and on methods for
implementation.
Contact: lecturer/researcher Lieke Dekkers, MSc
Contact details: e lieke.dekkers@han.nl t +31 24 353 13 91
Nutrition project of ZZG Herstelhotel
The first study at the ZZG Herstelhotel rehabilitation home was conducted between September 2013
and January 2014, in partnership between the Department of Nutrition in Relation to Sports and Health
(HAN) and the ZZG Herstelhotel. The study investigated the effects of protein-enriched foods on the
protein intake of elderly patients in the rehabilitation home. The partnership will be continued and
future research topics and protocols are currently being explored.
Contact: Senior Researcher Dr Elke Naumann
Contact details: e e.naumann@han.nl t +31 024 353 05 31
Project: Activity Balancer app of Meander Medical Centre
Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort, in partnership with HAN University of Applied Sciences, has
developed an app for people suffering from aches, pains and fatigue that make it difficult to plan their
daily activities. The app offers a practical and user-friendly tool to help rehabilitating patients better
spread their energy across the day and week.
The Activity Balancer (Activiteitenweger) is a method developed by occupational therapists Greke
Hulstein and Karin ten Hove at the Meander Medical Centre to manage energy exertion. Greke Hulstein
explains, ‘Many patients at our Rehabilitation Care outpatient clinic who are recovering from sickness or
a disorder have trouble knowing how active they should be on a daily basis without over or under
exerting themselves. The Activity Balancer helps them regain control of their own daily schedules. It is
based on the level of energy the patient perceives they need for their daily activities. The patients work
together with occupational therapists to determine their base levels, balance their activities and
organise their days.’
Patients can use the app to plan their activities on their smartphone or tablet. This offers numerous
advantages over activity cards, daily or weekly schedules or day planners. Karin ten Hove explains, ‘This
means patients always have their schedule with them. The occupational therapist can also be granted
remote viewing rights. This can optimise the efficiency of the care. Adjusting the schedule is easy, and it
can be displayed by day, week or month. Patients also receive a warning if they exceed the base level.’
Contact: Associate Professor of Neurorehabilitation Dr Esther Steultjens
Contact details: e esther.steultjens@han.nl t +31 24 353 04 19
Project: development and validation of the Dutch dysarthria assessment
Purpose
Speech-language therapists (SLTs) in the Netherlands use a number of dysarthria assessment
techniques. However, until now a complete, reliable and valid dysarthria assessment has been lacking.
The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Dutch Dysarthria Assessment for Adults (DDA-A*)
to diagnose the type and severity of the dysarthria.
Method
The development and validation of the DDA-A comprises seven steps. Step 1: formation of a project
group of seven highly experienced speech-language pathologists. Step 2: critical evaluation, comparison
with international standards and adaptation by the project group of the Nijmegen Dysarthria
Assessment into the draft version of the DDA-A, i.e. the speech tasks (spontaneous speech, reading,
maximum repetition rate, maximum phonation duration, fundamental frequency range, maximum
phonation volume), assessment form and test manual. Step 3: online Delphi round to obtain feedback
from colleagues in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). Step 4: discussion of all comments in the
project group and drafting of the next version. Step 5: factor analysis of the pre-final version and
assessment of 55 patients with the pre-final DDA-A to judge dysarthria type and severity. In addition,
two questionnaires (ROMP; Kalf et al. 2011, SHI; Van der Steen et al. 2012), an intelligibility assessment
(NSVO-Z; Martens et al. 2010) and a fluency task were used for validation measurements. Step 6:
Consensus between three independent experts about the new version of the tutorial and the
assessment form. Step 7: final version and publication of the DDA-A.
Result
The final version of the DDA-A will be available at the end of May 2014.
Contact: Professor of Neurorehabilitation Dr Bert de Swart
Contact details: e bert.deswart@han.nl t +31 024 353 04 29