Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Feb 11, 2020
Open Peer Review Period: Feb 11, 2020 - Mar 10, 2020
Date Accepted: Apr 8, 2020
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Feasibility of a Home-based Tablet App Dexterity Training in Multiple Sclerosis: a Pilot Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often experience dexterous difficulties during the performance of activities of daily living, such as fastening buttons, handling coins or writing, impacting, therefore, the health-related quality of life. Mobile Health (mHealth) solutions, such as tablet apps may be used to train impaired dexterous skills. The feasibility of a tablet app for dexterity training (TAD-MS) has not been explored yet in persons with MS.
Objective:
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and usability of home-based dexterity training with a tablet app in both persons with MS and healthy subjects.
Methods:
Nine persons with MS - aged between 35 and 71 years with an Expanded Disability Status Scale between 2 and 7.5 - performed a TAD-MS for four weeks, five times a week, each training lasting approximately 30 minutes. Participants had objective of subjective impaired dexterity as measured by the Nine-Hole Peg Test. Ten age-matched healthy subjects also tested the usability of the app. Outcome measures were the adherence rate, the usability measured by the System Usability Scale and a Custom User Engagement Questionnaire.
Results:
High feasibility of the tablet app-based dexterity training was shown, by a 97% adherence to the training protocol. High system usability scores (ie, 85.39%; standard deviation = 11.67), and overall high scores given in the Custom User Engagement Questionnaire (ie, 8.2 / 10; standard deviation 1.35) further point to high usability of the app. Neither demographic variables nor dexterity level affected the use of the app.
Conclusions:
This pilot study is the first to demonstrate high feasibility and usability of a new Tablet App home-based Dexterity training in both persons with MS and healthy individuals. Whether this kind of training improves dexterity will need to be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.
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Copyright
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