Assessing the usability of wearable devices to measure gait and physical activity in chronic conditions: a systematic review.
Alison Keogh, Rob Argent, Amy Anderson and 2 others
PMID 34526053WHAT IT FOUND
You cannot trust current data on whether patients find wearable gait devices usable.
The studies reviewed measured and reported usability so inconsistently that no firm conclusions could be drawn about which devices patients actually accept or find helpful.
Key findings
01The review could not assess usability findings because the included studies were too heterogeneous in how they measured and reported usability.
02Most studies used only quantitative methods like questionnaires, and many failed to report the specific questions or overall scores used.
03Basic methodological details, such as where the device was worn or how it was attached, were often not reported in the included studies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The review could not draw any definitive conclusions about usability because the included studies defined and measured it in completely different ways. Reporting quality was very poor: half of the studies did not report their overall usability scores, and most did not provide the actual questions or interview guides used. The review only looked at devices for measuring gait and physical activity, so findings do not apply to other wearables like heart rate or blood pressure monitors. No studies were found for hip fracture recovery, so there is no evidence for this population. It was often unclear whether usability findings referred to the wearable device itself or the entire system (e.g., the device plus a required smartphone app).
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative. No other conflicts of interest are explicitly detailed in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of clear findings as evidence that wearable devices are unusable. The review shows that the research literature is too messy and poorly reported to answer the question, not that the devices themselves fail.