Physiotherapists' clinical use and acceptance of a telemonitoring platform during anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation: a prospective clinical study

Andreas Rothgangel*, Iris Kanera, Renee van den Heuvel, Marius Wientgen, Gaston Jamin, Ton Lenssen, Susy Braun

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Purpose:The aim of this study was to assess physiotherapists' clinical use and acceptance of a novel telemonitoring platform to facilitate the recording of measurements during rehabilitation of patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Additionally, suggestions for platform improvement were explored.

Methods:Physiotherapists from seven Dutch private physiotherapy practices participated in the study. Data were collected through log files, a technology acceptance questionnaire and focus group meetings using the "buy a feature" method. Data regarding platform use and acceptance (7-point/11-point numeric rating scale) were descriptively analysed. Total scores were calculated for the features suggested to improve the platform, based on the priority rating (1 = nice to have, 2 = should have, 3 = must have).

Results:Participating physiotherapists (N= 15, mean [SD] age 33.1 [9.1] years) together treated 52 patients during the study period. Platform use by the therapists was generally limited, with the number of log-ins per patient varying from 3 to 73. Overall, therapists' acceptance of the platform was low to moderate, with average (SD) scores ranging from 2.5 (1.1) to 4.9 (1.5) on the 7-point Likert scale. The three most important suggestions for platform improvement were: (1) development of a native app, (2) system interoperability, and (3) flexibility regarding type and frequency of measurements.

Conclusions:Even though health care professionals were involved in the design of the telemonitoring platform, use in routine care was limited. Physiotherapists recognized the relevance of using health technology, but there are still barriers to overcome in order to successfully implement eHealth in routine care.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)184-191
Number of pages8
JournalDisability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology
Volume17
Issue number2
Early online date10 Jun 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Feb 2022

Keywords

  • Telemonitoring
  • anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
  • physiotherapy
  • user experience
  • technology acceptance
  • RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY
  • OUTCOME MEASURES
  • ACL INJURY
  • SPORT
  • RETURN
  • TELEREHABILITATION
  • METAANALYSIS
  • GUIDELINES
  • MANAGEMENT
  • TRENDS

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