Understanding the Technology Acceptance and Usability of a New Device for Hand Therapy: Qualitative Descriptive Study.
Adriana M Rios Rincon, Christine Guptill, Juan David Guevara Salamanca and 4 others
PMID 36355405WHAT IT FOUND
Hand therapists described six factors affecting FEPSim acceptance: usefulness, ease, access, encouragement, looks, and use.
They liked measurement and group fit. Pain, cognition, functional goals, and poor access limited use.
Key findings
01Therapists identified six factors affecting acceptance and usability of the FEPSim: useful for therapy, effortlessness, environmental conditions, internal encouragement, technological aesthetics, and use.
02Therapists found the FEPSim useful for strength, endurance, range of motion, grasp and release, grip and pitch, and functional goals, but one participant said it was not useful for manipulation goals.
03Use was limited by COVID-19 restrictions, patient conditions such as lack of active wrist movement, lack of grip, pain, and cognitive issues, and goals focused on functional outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included 10 therapists from 2 public hospitals in Edmonton, so it may not apply to therapists in other provinces, private settings, or other countries. No physical therapists participated, so the paper does not show how this device would be accepted in a physical therapy hand therapy service. The study reports therapists' experiences and opinions, not patient outcomes, so it does not show whether the FEPSim improves hand function, adherence, or recovery. Because the design was qualitative, it cannot rank which factor mattered most. The sample was purposive and small, so themes may not apply across wider hand therapy settings.
Declared interests
The paper states that no conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the FEPSim improves hand function or will be accepted by all therapists. The study reports views from 10 hand therapists at 2 public hospitals, and it did not measure patient outcomes or compare the device with usual care.