VOA标准英语2010年-Video Rehabilitation Might Help Stroke

Telemedicine has been used for years to deliver medical care to remote locations by audio or video links. Now, Canadian researchers are exploring the possibility of using that same technology to provide rehabilitation¹ services to stroke patients in remote areas.

Mention rehabilitation for stroke victims, and you probably think of hands-on therapists working to restore speech or mobility². But when patients live in a remote community hundreds of kilometers from the specialists they need, that kind of therapy may not be possible. Fortunately, for many residents of Northern Canada, a robust³ telemedicine system of audio and video links is being tried out for rehabilitation services.

Esme French, of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center, led a pilot study to test the feasibility of the concept.

"We were able to identify rehabilitation needs post-stroke," she says. "There were particular needs related to mobility in terms of making sure people were safe. So often the therapists were looking at prescribing equipment, such as canes⁴ or walkers, looking at making suggestions of how to modify the home to make it safer for the client."

The small pilot project involved 10 video consultations⁵ between stroke patients and a team of rehabilitation specialists in Thunder Bay, a mid-size city near the U.S. border.

French says that, in addition to identifying how tele-rehabilitation could be effective, the experiment revealed limitations in the use of technology.

For example, speech pathologists said the audio link wasn't always clear enough for a proper evaluation⁶. Another issue was that the video link was just one-way. Also, patients found talking into a camera when they couldn't see the therapist on the other end pretty impersonal⁷.

"As we went on, we really did make an effort to try and establish that rapport⁸ with the clients," French says. "Definitely we are saying it does not replace face-to-face. But in the absence of any service, we have found that it is able to remove that barrier in some cases."

French's study didn't include an economic analysis, but she concedes it's expensive to set up a telemedicine network.

Once that's established, however, she believes it should be cost effective to provide  rehabilitation services via remote audio and video links.

We reached Esme French via Skype at the Canadian Stroke Congress meeting in Quebec City.

 

1 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

2 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 canes   

n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖

参考例句：

• Sugar canes eat sweet. 甘蔗吃起来很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I saw several sugar canes, but wild, and for cultivation, imperfect. 我还看到一些甘蔗，因为是野生的，未经人工栽培，所以不太好吃。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

7 impersonal   

adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的

参考例句：

• Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
• His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。

8 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。