Digital Platform to Provide Health Data Feedback for Neurorehabilitation Patients: User-Centered Development and...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Neurorehabilitation
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Digital health data collection is increasing in rehabilitation, yet integration into clinical practice is limited.
• Effective visualization and communication of assessment outcomes are crucial but lacking in neurorehabilitation.
• This gap hinders patient motivation and clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate RehaLink, a proof-of-concept mobile application.
• RehaLink aims to deliver structured, interpretable feedback from assessments to neurorehabilitation patients and healthcare practitioners (HCPs).
• To explore the integration of conventional and technology-based assessment data into clinical workflows.

Main Methods:

• Iterative co-design process involving 17 patients with multiple sclerosis and 15 HCPs.
• Integration of conventional assessments and digital health metrics from the Virtual Peg Insertion Test.
• Evaluation through structured feedback sessions, usability testing (System Usability Scale), and data analysis.

Main Results:

• Patients and HCPs preferred progress bars and color-coded indicators over text-heavy formats.
• A balance between visual simplicity and detailed data access was requested.
• The RehaLink prototype demonstrated high usability (patients: 93.6 SUS; HCPs: 80.9 SUS).

Conclusions:

• Co-designed digital feedback tools are feasible and valuable in neurorehabilitation.
• RehaLink can enhance patient engagement and support clinical decision-making.
• The app facilitates personalized care by integrating diverse assessment data.