Background: Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is of paramount relevance for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. However, past evidence shows that there are physical and cognitive issues that might limit the usage of glucometers by T2DM patients aged 65 years and over. Objective: Our aim was to investigate the physical and cognitive issues related to the usage of glucometers by T2DM patients aged 65 years and over. Materials and Methods: The extant literature was analysed to define an original framework showing the logical nexus between physical and cognitive issues and quality of life. Then we collected evidence addressing the specific case of the Accu-Chek® Instant glucometer produced by Roche Diabetes Care GmbH, which implements new features claiming to improve usability. We conducted 30 interviews with T2DM patients aged 65 years and over, three interviews with senior nurses, and a focus group with three senior physicians and three senior nurses. Results: From the interviews, both patients and nurses declared that they were generally satisfied with the Accu-Chek® Instant glucometer’s characteristics. In the focus group, the results were commented on and, in the light of some diverging answers, improvements have been set up for future implementation. Conclusions: Our study produces evidence and future suggestions about the usage of glucometers by type 2 diabetes patients aged 65 years and over.

Hemiplegia is a form of disability that affects one side of the body and has a prevalence of 0.5–0.7 per 1000 live births. It has consequences not only at the medical level but also on psychological, cognitive, and social aspects, and it prevents children from social participation, especially in sports settings. The studies demonstrating the social impact of sports on the hemiplegic population and, in particular, children, are limited. In addition, previous evaluations of healthcare sports initiatives in the hemiplegic population are not available, and traditional methods of evaluation, which are mostly focused on economic outcomes, are not applicable. Thus, this article employs the social return on investment (SROI) methodology, which is able to determine the socio-economic impacts of an initiative, to evaluate the impact of an innovative ankle–foot orthosis (AFO) for hemiplegic children that was created to promote the possibility of “sports for all”. The model was designed with the involvement of stakeholders in all the phases and with mixed methods to assess the input, outcomes, and impact indicators. The final SROI, computed for a time horizon of three years and with a focus on the Lombardy Region, was equal to 3.265:1. Based on this result, the initiative turned out to be worthy of investment.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability overall worldwide. Upper limb impairment is a common consequence for stroke survivors, having negative impact on their quality of life. Robotic rehabilitation, through repetitive and monitored movements, can improve their status. Developed by a team of researchers at Politecnico di Milano, AGREE is an exoskeleton for upper limb rehabilitation at the stage gate between translational research and clinical validation. Since the cost of this device is particularly high, the present study aimed to provide a framework for assessing its value. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) method, able to grasp the economic, social and environmental impact of an activity, was applied, using expert opinions of a pool of clinical engineers and healthcare professionals from different Italian hospitals to obtain information. Environmental impacts were estimated through Life Cycle Assessment in terms of CO2 emissions and incorporated in the analysis. Considering a 5-year period, the SROI for a single exoskeleton was 3.75:1, and the SROI for the number of exoskeletons projected to be sold was 2.868:1, thus resulting largely in value for money. This study provides a model for combining economic, social and environmental outcomes that, besides contributing to theory, could be useful for decision-making.

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