Exercise Specialists Evaluation of Robot-led Physical Therapy for People with Parkinsons Disease

TL;DR

This study evaluates a robot-led physical therapy system for Parkinson's disease, showing positive acceptance among exercise specialists and highlighting areas for system improvement to enhance patient engagement and usability.

Contribution

First evaluation of exercise specialists' perceptions of a novel robot-led PT system for Parkinson's disease, providing insights for future development.

Findings

Positive reception of the robot system by exercise specialists

Identified need for more human-like feedback in the system

Highlighting the importance of system ease of use

Abstract

Robot-led physical therapy (PT) offers a promising avenue to enhance the care provided by clinical exercise specialists (ES) and physical and occupational therapists to improve patients' adherence to prescribed exercises outside of a clinic, such as at home. Collaborative efforts among roboticists, ES, physical and occupational therapists, and patients are essential for developing interactive, personalized exercise systems that meet each stakeholder's needs. We conducted a user study in which 11 ES evaluated a novel robot-led PT system for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), introduced in [1], focusing on the system's perceived efficacy and acceptance. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, including technology acceptance questionnaires, task load questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews, we gathered comprehensive insights into ES perspectives and experiences after interacting with the system. Findings reveal a broadly positive reception, which highlights the system's capacity to augment traditional PT for PD, enhance patient engagement, and ensure consistent exercise support. We also identified two key areas for improvement: incorporating more human-like feedback systems and increasing the robot's ease of use. This research emphasizes the value of incorporating robotic aids into PT for PD, offering insights that can guide the development of more effective and user-friendly rehabilitation technologies.