@Article{info:doi/10.2196/48055,
author="Islam, Riasat
and Gooch, Daniel
and Karlakki, Sudheer
and Price, Blaine",
title="A Device for Prehabilitation of Total Knee Replacement Surgery (Slider): Usability Study",
journal="JMIR Form Res",
year="2023",
month="Dec",
day="18",
volume="7",
pages="e48055",
keywords="physiotherapy; rehabilitation; prehabilitation, knee replacement; community physiotherapy; outpatient; gamification; motivation; adherence; knee; exercise; preoperative; postoperative; usability; validation; software; exergames; geriatric rehabilitation; self-regulated exercise; assistive technology; telerehabilitation; digital health; healthcare delivery",
abstract="Background: Rehabilitation, or ``prehabilitation,'' is essential in preparing for and recovering from knee replacement surgery. The recent demand for these services has surpassed available resources, a situation further strained by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a pivot toward digital solutions such as web- or app-based videos and wearables. These solutions, however, face challenges with user engagement, calibration requirements, and skin contact issues. This study evaluated the practicality of a low-contact, gamified device designed to assist with prehabilitation exercises. Objective: The study aimed to assess the practicality and user-friendliness of a newly designed physiotherapy device (Slider) that enables exercise monitoring without the need for direct contact with the skin. Methods: A total of 17 patients awaiting knee replacement surgery at a UK National Health Service (NHS) hospital participated in this study. They used the device over a 2-week period and subsequently provided feedback through a usability and acceptability questionnaire. Results: The study was completed by all participants, with a majority (13/17, 76{\%}) finding the device intuitive and easy to use. The majority of patients were satisfied with the device's ability to meet their presurgery physiotherapy requirements (16/17, 94{\%}) and expressed a willingness to continue using it (17/17, 100{\%}). No safety issues or adverse effects were reported by the participants. Conclusions: The results indicate that the device was found to be a feasible option for patients to conduct presurgery physiotherapy exercises independently, away from a clinical setting. Further research involving a larger and more diverse group of participants is recommended to validate these findings more robustly. ",
issn="2561-326X",
doi="10.2196/48055",
url="https://formative.jmir.org/2023/1/e48055",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/48055",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38109191"
}