JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Wearable sensor systems maximize visual and clinical feedback for physical therapists to enhance patient outcomes in rehabilitation medicine. However, physical therapists must adopt and accept new technologies for full integration into routine care to advance the use of technology in clinical care. Their role in technology design is critical in adopting and implementing technology. Interprofessional collaboration should be supported in the design of rehabilitation-assisted technologies.

Objective:

We employ the established tenets of the Technology Acceptance Model to describe physical therapists’ expectations and experiences before and after using a novel wearable system in outpatient physical therapy.

Methods:

This mixed-method study used a comparative pre-post survey and a qualitative semi-structured focus group study design. Using purposive sampling, we recruited outpatient physical therapists to pilot the novel wearable technology, describe their expectations and experiences, and participate in a semi-structured focus group discussion conducted to gather training and user experience information. A six-phase process framework was used to guide the process and report focus group findings.

Results:

The study sample consisted of five physical therapists with an average age of 38.8 years (SD ± 6.9) and a work experience average of 12 years (SD ± 7.7). Pre-survey data show favorable expectations for usefulness and ease of use; however, favorability in both factors decreased after use. For perceived usefulness, all responses moved in the less favorable direction and overall perceived usefulness (mean difference = -4.4; SD ± 3.21). All but two responses moved in the less favorable direction for overall perceived ease of use (mean difference= -4.8; SD ± 1.79). Themed responses to open-ended questions in the post-survey were feedback, setup time, accuracy, performance, and enhanced functional activities. Inductive content analysis of the focus group responses resulted in the following themes: system training, system benefits, system challenges, physical therapist perception of patients, and suggestions for improvement. The expectation for frequency of use decreased pre- to post-experience by 53% (mean = -22, SD ± 14.40).

Conclusions:

The TAM-based survey responses and thematic outcomes demonstrated physical therapists’ expectations for using new technology were not met. Engaging physical therapists in piloting novel wearable technology highlights the importance of physical therapist engagement in developing, refining, and implementing wearable devices for rehabilitation.