S.M.A.R.T

Elderly male patient lying down in bed.

The SMART (Sensory Modality Assessment and Rehabilitation Technique) is an accurate, precise award winning tool used to assess the levels of awareness, functional, sensory and communicative abilities of individuals in vegetative or minimally-conscious states.

Following a stabilisation period, the assessment is conducted over a three week period with a treatment programme in the following eight weeks. Due to the complexity of the SMART, it can only be undertaken by an accredited SMART assessor.

The SMART is designed to:

  • Identify awareness in adults with sustained profound brain damage that have been diagnosed as in a vegetative state (VS)
  • Identify functional and communication capabilities of patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS)

What are the aims of SMART?

The specialist SMART trained occupational therapists at Manchester OT provide SMART input with individuals in vegetative or minimally conscious state to:

  • Enhance the opportunity for life choices and increase the quality of life in low awareness patients
  • Ensure that signs of awareness in patients in a vegetative state are identified
  • Ensure that functional and communication abilities are recognised and fully explored in patients in a minimally conscious state
  • Provide accurate and cost-effective assessment, treatment and patient management by identifying patients who will benefit from rehabilitation programmes
  • Involve family, friends, carers and the multidisciplinary team
  • Provide a 24-hour assessment approach
  • Provide clear guidelines for treatment to ensure the recognised abilities are optimised
  • Provide an accurate measure of changes over time
  • Provide meaningful feedback of assessment and treatment results for meetings and reports

If you would like to find out more about our SMART service please call Manchester OT on 0161 8830088

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