Technology-aided assessments of sensorimotor function: current use, barriers and future directions in the view of different stakeholders.
Camila Shirota, Sivakumar Balasubramanian, Alejandro Melendez-Calderon
PMID 31036003WHAT IT FOUND
Clinicians and engineers agree that lack of time and high cost are the main barriers to using technology for assessments.
They also cite difficulty interpreting results. Standardization is seen as the key step to make these tools useful in routine clinical practice.
Key findings
01Practical issues like time and cost are the top barriers to using technology for sensorimotor assessments.
02Most stakeholders agree that standardizing these assessment tools is the most important future activity.
03Clinicians prefer standard clinical assessments over technology-based measurements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey had a very small number of patient respondents (3). Respondents were mostly from developed countries with better access to technology, which may bias the results against lower-resource settings. The survey was advertised through professional networks, likely attracting people already interested in technology. Definitions of 'standard' and 'technology-aided' assessments relied on pictures, which could be interpreted differently by respondents.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by non-US government grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of technology adoption as a lack of interest or demand. The study shows that clinicians and patients are interested, but practical barriers like time, cost, and unclear results prevent routine use.