Use of Technology for Exercise Prescription Among Persons With Dizziness: A Mixed-Methods Study.
Susan L Whitney, Pamela M Dunlap, Pedram Hovareshti and 7 others
PMID 40605451WHAT IT FOUND
Therapists agreed on exercise adjustments about as often when reading app data as when watching videos.
The app data was not significantly better. Less experienced therapists found the app sufficient, while veterans wanted both.
Key findings
01Agreement on clinical decisions averaged 60.0% with videos and 71.1% with app reports, but the difference was not statistically significant.
02Therapists with 1-5 years of experience rated the app report as sufficient 100% of the time, compared to 40% for those with 6-15 years and 70% for those with over 15 years.
03When the app report and video led to different decisions, therapists chose to decrease exercise difficulty 71% of the time when using the app report.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used pre-recorded videos and reports rather than real-time patient interactions, which may not reflect actual clinical decision-making. The sample of therapists was predominantly female and outpatient, limiting generalizability to other settings or demographics. The number of patients was small (seven patients, twelve samples), which may not capture the full variability of vestibular disorders. The app data was viewed separately from the video, whereas in practice, clinicians might use them simultaneously.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. Several authors are employees of AeroVironment, the company that developed the VestAid app. One author is a paid consultant for AeroVironment and a co-inventor on a patent for the device.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the app is superior to video monitoring. The study found no statistically significant difference in agreement rates, and the app's perceived sufficiency decreased with therapist experience. The results are preliminary and based on a small, specific sample.