Embracing Sustainable Change in Healthcare Assistive Technologies: Strategies for Pilot Continuity and Innovation

Assistive devices were implemented and tested in a plethora of pilot studies, yet only a limited amount were carried through in the healthcare system. The term “sustainability” in recent years has been used mainly in the context of ecology and environmental reports, although it also means transformation of innovation into routine. To understand why pilot studies are seldom implemented, we aim to uncover the main drivers and factors that promote or limit their sustainability. In the present study we present the results of a questionnaire designed to gain more knowledge on what people involved in the healthcare sector with previous experience with pilot studies, but also technology and business developers, believe are the reasons why results from pilot studies are not often put into practice. The results were then discussed to jot down recommendations to bridge the existing gap between pilot experiment and practical implementation.