Developing an assistive technology usability questionnaire for people with neurological diseases

Area of Science:

• Assistive Technology Research
• Neurological Rehabilitation
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Assessing the usability of assistive technologies (ATs) is crucial for individuals with neurological diseases.
• Existing assessment tools may not adequately capture the specific needs and experiences of this population.
• Developing tailored, reliable instruments is essential for improving AT adoption and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a questionnaire for assessing the usability of assistive technologies.
• To ensure the questionnaire is suitable for people with neurological diseases.
• To create a reliable and valid tool for subjective and quick usability assessment.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi study involving experts and users to identify relevant questionnaire items.
• Content validity analysis to refine essential items.
• Reliability (Cronbach's Alpha, Kappa, Spearman's, ICC) and validity testing, including Rasch model analysis.

Main Results:

• A 10-item questionnaire was developed after Delphi rounds and content validity assessment.
• High internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.895) and strong test-retest reliability (Spearman's ρ = 0.818, ICC = 0.869) were demonstrated.
• The questionnaire showed strong correlation with existing validated instruments (Spearman's ρ = 0.756) and satisfactory fit to the Rasch model.

Conclusions:

• The developed 10-item questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessing AT usability.
• It enables subjective and rapid evaluation for individuals with neurological diseases.
• This instrument can aid in selecting and optimizing ATs for improved user outcomes.