Adapting a Person's Home in 3D Using a Mobile App (MapIt): Participatory Design Framework Investigating the App's Acceptability.
Manon Guay, Mathieu Labbé, Noémie Séguin-Tremblay and 6 others
PMID 33973867WHAT IT FOUND
Nine OTs and five relatives found a 3D home-scanning app acceptable for remote assessments.
It generated room maps in under five minutes, allowing therapists to measure spaces and view environments without a home visit, though scanning required assistance for complex tasks.
Key findings
01Stakeholders completed 14 usability tests, scanning rooms in an average of 3 minutes and 41 seconds.
02Therapists and relatives rated the app's usefulness and interface quality as 'agree' on the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire.
03Users reported that the software was less intuitive than the app and that image quality varied with lighting and surface types.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was small (9 OTs and 5 relatives), which limits how broadly these results apply to other therapists or patients. Participants were not left alone to troubleshoot during testing; they had expert help available, so the app's ease of use in a real-world, unsupported scenario is unknown. The study did not validate the accuracy of the measurements taken by the app against standard clinical tools. Patients with major mobility or cognitive impairments could not scan their own homes, requiring a helper. The technology relied on specific smartphone models (ASUS Zenfone AR) with depth-sensing cameras, which may not be widely available or affordable for all clinics.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this app is ready for immediate, independent clinical use without further validation. The study showed that measurements were not checked for accuracy against tape measures, and users needed help during testing. Additionally, the scanning process failed in small rooms or on dark surfaces, meaning it cannot yet replace a physical home visit for all patients.