Assessing and Enhancing Movement Quality Using Wearables and Consumer Technologies: Thematic Analysis of Expert...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Sports Science

Background:

• Improving movement quality enhances general health and quality of life.
• Wearable technology offers accessible means for measuring and assessing movement quality.
• Expert perspectives are crucial for translating user needs into effective technology applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather wearable technology experts' opinions on using devices for movement quality assessment and feedback.
• To identify strategies for integrating preferred feedback mechanisms into technology-based interventions for recreationally active individuals.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured interviews with 12 wearable technology experts (commercial and R&D).
• Interviews conducted between August and September 2022.
• Verbatim transcripts analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Key themes: 'Grab and Go' (convenience), 'Adjust and Adapt' (adaptability), and 'Visualize and Feedback' (feedback modalities).
• Users value convenience but will tolerate minor inconveniences for perceived benefits.
• Recommended feedback: simple, interpretable, multimodal (visualizations, concise text, audio), adaptable, and customizable.

Conclusions:

• Expert insights highlight the importance of user convenience and simplified, multimodal feedback for enhancing movement quality.
• User-centric design, adaptable systems, and individualized feedback are crucial for engaging the general population.
• Findings provide a foundation for practical applications of consumer technologies to improve movement quality.