Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis
IntroductionRehabilitation is facing a critical practice gap: Patients seek out rehabilitation services to improve their activity in daily life, yet recent work demonstrates that rehabilitation may be having a limited impact on improving this outcome due to lack of objective data on patients’ activi...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1534419/full |
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| author | Allison E. Miller Carey L. Holleran Carey L. Holleran Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Caitlin A. Newman Thomas M. Maddox Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang |
| author_facet | Allison E. Miller Carey L. Holleran Carey L. Holleran Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Caitlin A. Newman Thomas M. Maddox Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang |
| author_sort | Allison E. Miller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionRehabilitation is facing a critical practice gap: Patients seek out rehabilitation services to improve their activity in daily life, yet recent work demonstrates that rehabilitation may be having a limited impact on improving this outcome due to lack of objective data on patients’ activity in daily life. Remote monitoring using wearable sensor technology is a promising solution to this address this gap. The purpose of this study was to understand patient and clinician awareness of the practice gap and preferences for integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care.MethodsThis study used a mixed-methods approach consisting of surveys and 1:1 interviews with clinicians (physical and occupational therapists or assistants) employed at an outpatient rehabilitation clinic within an academic medical center and patients seeking care at this clinic. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.ResultsData saturation was reached from nineteen clinicians and ten patients. Both clinicians and patients recognized the importance of measuring activity outside the clinic and viewed wearable sensor technology as an objective measurement tool. Most clinicians (63%) preferred continuous (vs. intermittent) monitoring within a care episode and most patients (60%) were willing to sync their sensor data as often as instructed by their provider. To maximize integration into clinical workflows, clinicians voiced a preference for availability of sensor data in the electronic health record.ConclusionsClinicians and patients value the use of wearable sensor technology to improve measurement of activity outside the clinic environment and expressed preferences for how this technology could best be integrated into routine rehabilitation care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-30fe49900fab4e5fafa355802dd4f17d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-30fe49900fab4e5fafa355802dd4f17d2025-08-20T02:19:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2025-04-01710.3389/fdgth.2025.15344191534419Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysisAllison E. Miller0Carey L. Holleran1Carey L. Holleran2Marghuretta D. Bland3Marghuretta D. Bland4Marghuretta D. Bland5Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft6Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft7Caitlin A. Newman8Thomas M. Maddox9Catherine E. Lang10Catherine E. Lang11Catherine E. Lang12Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesProgram in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDepartment of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesProgram in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDepartment of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesProgram in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesShirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago, IL, United StatesDivision of Cardiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesProgram in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesDepartment of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesProgram in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United StatesIntroductionRehabilitation is facing a critical practice gap: Patients seek out rehabilitation services to improve their activity in daily life, yet recent work demonstrates that rehabilitation may be having a limited impact on improving this outcome due to lack of objective data on patients’ activity in daily life. Remote monitoring using wearable sensor technology is a promising solution to this address this gap. The purpose of this study was to understand patient and clinician awareness of the practice gap and preferences for integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care.MethodsThis study used a mixed-methods approach consisting of surveys and 1:1 interviews with clinicians (physical and occupational therapists or assistants) employed at an outpatient rehabilitation clinic within an academic medical center and patients seeking care at this clinic. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.ResultsData saturation was reached from nineteen clinicians and ten patients. Both clinicians and patients recognized the importance of measuring activity outside the clinic and viewed wearable sensor technology as an objective measurement tool. Most clinicians (63%) preferred continuous (vs. intermittent) monitoring within a care episode and most patients (60%) were willing to sync their sensor data as often as instructed by their provider. To maximize integration into clinical workflows, clinicians voiced a preference for availability of sensor data in the electronic health record.ConclusionsClinicians and patients value the use of wearable sensor technology to improve measurement of activity outside the clinic environment and expressed preferences for how this technology could best be integrated into routine rehabilitation care.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1534419/fullwearable sensortechnologydigital healthrehabilitationphysical therapyoccupational therapy |
| spellingShingle | Allison E. Miller Carey L. Holleran Carey L. Holleran Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Marghuretta D. Bland Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft Caitlin A. Newman Thomas M. Maddox Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang Catherine E. Lang Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis Frontiers in Digital Health wearable sensor technology digital health rehabilitation physical therapy occupational therapy |
| title | Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_full | Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_fullStr | Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_short | Perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care: a mixed-methods analysis |
| title_sort | perspectives of key stakeholders on integrating wearable sensor technology into rehabilitation care a mixed methods analysis |
| topic | wearable sensor technology digital health rehabilitation physical therapy occupational therapy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2025.1534419/full |
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