Simulation of Clinical Visits as a Novel Approach to Evaluate Digital Health in Multiple Sclerosis: Simulation Study

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Technologies
• Clinical Simulation
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Care

Background:

• Integrating digital health technologies into multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical care is crucial for enhanced patient monitoring.
• The Floodlight digital tool, utilizing smartphone sensor-based tests, was employed in a clinical simulation to gather patient function and symptom data.
• Efficiently assessing the impact of digital tools on clinical care can accelerate their development and adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate simulated clinical encounters as a methodology for introducing digital health technologies in MS care.
• To confirm the fidelity of the simulated environment and patient cases, and identify measurable metrics (e.g., workflow, comprehensive evaluation).
• To gain insights into the usability, clinical decision-making contribution, and workflow impact of digitally collected data in practice.

Main Methods:

• Development of 2 detailed patient cases (clinical, radiological, digital health data) with neurologist input.
• Neurologists conducted simulated teleconsultations using these cases, with Floodlight data accessible for one consultation.
• Post-simulation interviews and surveys assessed case fidelity, user experience, workflow impact, and decision-making confidence.

Main Results:

• Simulations were deemed high-fidelity by all 10 participating neurologists.
• The Floodlight MS™ Health Care Professional Portal demonstrated good usability (System Usability Scale: 79) and an acceptable Net Promoter Score (10).
• Access to Floodlight data facilitated quicker identification of patient concerns and led to more care decisions (37 vs. 29), often triggered by the digital data combined with patient history and clinical findings.

Conclusions:

• Clinical simulation is a valuable method for evaluating digital tools and innovative technologies in MS care.
• The simulated environment effectively assessed the usability and utility of the Floodlight digital tool.
• Preliminary evidence suggests digital data can be accessed and utilized by neurologists to support routine MS care, improving decision-making.