Satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of telerehabilitation for Parkinson's disease patients

To evaluate the satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of a telerehabilitation programme for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

Prospective cohort study.

PD patients based on the diagnostic criteria for clinically established or probable PD published by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

The telerehabilitation was conducted twice a week via a Zoom meeting platform, using pre-recorded rehabilitation contents shared during the sessions. In this study we administered several questionnaires, i.e., a self-report questionnaire on the effectiveness of telerehabilitation, the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), and the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), in order to evaluate the satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of our telerehabilitation programme.

Fifty-six PD patients were included in the analysis. After 6 months, 91.1% expressed satisfaction with the telerehabilitation and 91.9% reported telerehabilitation had helped them develop an exercise routine, but the PDQ-39 showed no significant improvement in quality of life. The TUQ showed higher scores for Usefulness (76.1%), Ease of Use and Learnability (73.5%), Interface Quality (75.4%), and Satisfaction and Future Use (82.2%).

Satisfaction with telerehabilitation was high, particularly with regard to positive effects on emotional well-being. Telerehabilitation usability was also found to be high.