The Jury is still out on robotic rehabilitation devices

In the December edition of Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation Dr. Backus and her team from Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia USA comment on Translating Research Into Clinical Practice: Integrating Robotics Into Neurorehabilitation for Stroke Survivors http://bit.ly/hZJJrP
The report states that robotic devices hold the promise of providing high doses of repetitive movement in a reliable and controllable manner and are causing both excitement and apprehension among therapists and rehabilitation clinic management. The group concludes that the role that robotic devices play in the continuum of clinical care remains uncertain.
Are robotic devices a status symbol that says: “we are a top rehabilitation center”, “I am a top therapist”, “our clinic offer patients the most up to date treatment options”. Alternatively is there use clinically proven to be more effective than traditional intensive therapy and also economically justified.
The HandTutor system offers therapists and clinic managers a cost effective tool that provides patients with intensive active exercise practice with proven hand movement rehabilitation outcome.