Introduction / Rationale: Despite evidence supporting robotic training for stroke rehabilitation, its integration into occupational therapy in Thailand is limited. Understanding therapists' experiences could help identify strategies for better implementation.
Objectives: To explore the current use and influencing factors of robotic training in upper limb rehabilitation for stroke patients by occupational therapists in Thailand.
Methods / Approach: This cross-sectional study, surveyed occupational therapists experienced with rehabilitation robotics across 47 hospitals, covering device types, patient characteristics, and factors influencing implementation using the Measurement Instrument for Determinants of Innovations.
Results / Practice Implications: According to 30 respondents, exoskeletons and end-effector robots were commonly used for upper limb rehabilitation. Most therapists reported robotic training sessions lasting less than 30 minutes, typically 1–2 times per week, focusing on sub-acute stroke patients aged 30–59, as well as patients with cognitive impairments. Occupational therapists identify key influential factors in the robotic domain as completeness, observability, procedural clarity, and relevance to the client, respectively. In the user domain, therapist-related factors include perceived personal benefits or disadvantages, experience, subjective norms, and descriptive norms. Client-focused factors within the user domain highlight client cooperation as the most significant, followed by client satisfaction. In the organizational domain, financial resources are the primary influencing factor.
Conclusion / Significance to the Occupational Therapy Profession: Robotic training in Thailand is shaped by device features, therapist perceptions and experience, client cooperation and satisfaction, and financial resources. Recognizing these factors could guide resource allocation, training, and client-centered strategies to enhance stroke rehabilitation outcomes.