RERC on Telerehabilitation Science State of the Science Conference
November 19, 2008

“Telerehabilitation Technologies: Accessibility and Usability”

White Paper Authors:

  Michael Pramuka, Ph.D., CRC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.  He was the Principal Investigator of a CDC funded project on Self-Management in Epilepsy and is currently co-investigator on the NIDRR Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation and on several smaller funded projects on telerehabilitation as related to cognitive disability.  Dr. Pramuka teaches courses in the master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling.  He holds licensure as a psychologist in Pennsylvania and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.



  Linda van Roosmalen, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.  She is a (co)investigator on the NIDRR Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation and the RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety.  Dr. van Roosmalen has a background in Industrial Design Engineering from the Netherlands and teaches design courses in Rehabilitation Engineering Design to graduate level students. She is active in technology transfer and collaborates with various industry partners. 





Expert Panel Members:

 Patricia Campbell, MA, CRC, LPC is a certified rehabilitation counselor, licensed professional counselor, and instructor who has worked in the fields of neuroscience and behavioral health since 1981.  She has served as both a practitioner and administrator in Pennsylvania and New York while overseeing rehabilitation development efforts in rural communities throughout the United States. Since establishing a private practice in 2001, consultations directed toward strategic team development and long-term supports have successfully impacted more than 300 individuals and families living in rural environments. Mrs. Campbell is the primary member of “Patricia Belmont Campbell and Associates, PLLC” and an adjunct lecturer for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
 
 
  Jack Winters, PhD is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University. He was the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the prior Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Telerehabilitation, and also more recently of the RERC on Accessible Medical Instrumentation (from 2002-2008). Dr. Winters’ research interests include applied research in rehabilitative bioengineering aimed at developing more effective systems and tools for 21st-century rehab therapy, as well as in neuromuscular systems, musculoskeletal modeling and muscle tissue remodeling.  His publications are extensive and include editing a book on Emerging and Accessible Telecommunications, Information and Healthcare Technologies (2002), and feels strongly about the need to re-think new ways for providing researchers and consumers with timely access to healthcare information and services. In 2006, he co-authored eight of the chapters in Medical Instrumentation: Accessibility and Usability Considerations with the focus being on innovative strategies for providing all people, including those with disabilities, with access to healthcare technologies.

  Onny Chatterjee is the User Research Specialist at Daedalus Excel, a product development firm in Pittsburgh, PA, and on faculty at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design. With Daedalus Excel, Onny has been involved in research and human factors work for medical devices for hospital and home use, as well as for consumer, safety and scientific products. He has taught user research techniques to both academic and corporate audiences. He is the co-president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the interaction design association, IxDA. Onny has a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Science, Technology and Society with a concentration in Product Design from Stanford University.


  Philip Girard, MS is Manager of the Office of Telemedicine for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC).  He is responsible for the development and operation of national telemedicine services which seek to assess and treat traumatic brain injury in active duty service members and veterans.  Mr. Girard has written and lectured on the technological advances which impact the lives of those with brain injury in remote and underserved areas. His background includes twelve years of program development in health and rehabilitation and significant work with adults with brain injury, medically fragile children, and their families using telemedicine.


  Greg Traynor, MS was in a diving accident in 1999 resulting in a spinal cord injury.  He completed his rehabilitation at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  He received his BS in 1989 from Penn State University and his Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Pittsburgh in 2007 along with a Rehabilitation Technology certificate.  Greg is a member of the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA).  He is the owner and operator of Pitt Rehab Counselor.com and Vice Chairman of the Consumer Advisory Council Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for Washington, Greene and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania.  He was awarded the 2008 Empowerment Happens Award from The Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (PARF).