Usefulness and Acceptability of a Connected Ergocycle for the Elderly in a Clinical Setting

Hospitalizations are harmful to patients. Without a proper intervention, it will lead to a permanent decline in physical function, especially among frail individuals. Ultimately, this will worsen quality of life, as well as the cognitive and functional status of affected elderly people, which will arguably reduce functional independence, increase post-discharge institutionalization and death among frail older adults. It is known that patients receiving early physical evaluation and rehabilitation (in the 24 hours following admission) improves post-discharge orientation, decreases delirium and the need of acute care. The rehabilitation often involves ergocycles, but commercially available devices are expensive and often hard to move, to set up in hospital bed and lack connectivity. In this context, a connected ergocycle prototype which has a number of desired characteristics, including low production cost, relatively light and easy to move and with internet connectivity. The goal of this study is thereby to assess the usefulness and acceptability of the prototype with health professionals involved in physical rehabilitation and patients receiving said rehabilitation.