Usability and Acceptance of an Interactive Tablet-Based Exercise Application: A Mixed Methods Study

Pierrette Baschung Pfister; Bernadette Tobler-Ammann; Ruud H Knols; Eling D de Bruin; Rob A de Bie

doi:10.3389/fdgth.2020.578281

Usability and Acceptance of an Interactive Tablet-Based Exercise Application: A Mixed Methods Study

Front Digit Health. 2020 Oct 28:2:578281. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2020.578281. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Pierrette Baschung Pfister^{1

2

3}, Bernadette Tobler-Ammann⁴, Ruud H Knols^{1

2

5}, Eling D de Bruin^{3

5

6}, Rob A de Bie³

Affiliations

¹ Directorate of Research and Education, Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy Research Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Nursing and Allied Health Profession Office, Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
³ Department of Epidemiology, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
⁴ University Clinic of Hand- and Plastic Surgery, Department of Hand and Occupational Therapy Research, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate usability and acceptance of a newly developed interactive, tablet-based exercise application (app) and to explore personal opinions of therapists when using this app in the clinical setting. Methods: Twenty participants (10 therapists and 10 inactive healthy adults) tested usability of this app performing different test tasks, using the think aloud method, and rated overall satisfaction with the System Usability Scale and acceptance with a modified Technology Acceptance Model Questionnaire. For a secondary objective, personal opinions of therapists were evaluated with two focus groups, one for team leaders and one for team members. Results: Overall, the app was judged to be usable. Effectiveness varied between 73 and 90%, overall satisfaction between 70.5 and 85.5/100 points and acceptance between 74 and 80%. Team leader and team member focus groups considered the app as providing a great opportunity for therapy extension, especially because of its blended character. Barriers to its implementation were seen in the existing clinical working processes, personal attitudes of therapists and uncertainty of who would cover expenses for this new form of therapy. Some improvements such as using videos instead of photos, the integration of more interactive tools and the possibility to add additional exercises were suggested in both settings. Conclusion: The app showed high acceptance and usability in trainees and therapists, although some ideas for upgrading functions were formulated. Before this app can be used in clinical practice, feasibility of this blended approach should be evaluated in a clinical setting.

Keywords: exercise; focus group; resistance training; telecommunication technologies; training app; usability.