T. Langford, Victoria Fleming, E. Upton, Catherine Doogan, A. Leff, D. Romano
iReadMore is a digital therapy for people with acquired reading impairments (known as alexia) caused by brain injury or neurodegeneration. A phase II clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of the digital therapy research prototype for improving reading speed and accuracy in people with poststroke aphasia (acquired language impairment) and alexia. However, it also highlighted the complexities and barriers to delivering self-managed therapies at home. Therefore, in order to translate the positive study results into real-world benefits, iReadMore required subsequent design innovation. Here, we present qualitative findings from the co-design process as well as the methodology. We aimed to present a methodology for inclusive co-design in the redesign of a digital therapy prototype, focusing on elements of accessibility and user engagement. We used framework analysis to explore the themes of the communications and interactions from the co-design process. This study included 2 stages. In the first stage, 5 in-person co-design sessions were held with participants living with poststroke aphasia (n=22) and their carers (n=3), and in the second stage, remote one-to-one beta-testing sessions were held with participants with aphasia (n=20) and their carers (n=5) to test and refine the final design. Data collection included video recordings of the co-design sessions in addition to participants’ written notes and drawings. Framework analysis was used to identify themes within the data relevant to the design of digital aphasia therapies in general. From a qualitative framework analysis of the data generated in the co-design process, 7 key areas of consideration for digital aphasia therapies have been proposed and discussed in context. The themes generated were agency, intuitive design, motivation, personal trajectory, recognizable and relatable content, social and sharing, and widening participation. This study enabled the deployment of the iReadMore app in an accessible and engaging format. Co-design is a valuable strategy for innovating beyond traditional therapy designs to utilize what is achievable with technology-based therapies in user-centered design. The co-designed iReadMore app has been publicly released for use in the rehabilitation of acquired reading impairments. This paper details the co-design process for the iReadMore therapy app and provides a methodology for how inclusive co-design can be conducted with people with aphasia. The findings of the framework analysis offer insights into design considerations for digital therapies that are important to people living with aphasia.
{"title":"Design Innovation for Engaging and Accessible Digital Aphasia Therapies: Framework Analysis of the iReadMore App Co-Design Process","authors":"T. Langford, Victoria Fleming, E. Upton, Catherine Doogan, A. Leff, D. Romano","doi":"10.2196/39855","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/39855","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 iReadMore is a digital therapy for people with acquired reading impairments (known as alexia) caused by brain injury or neurodegeneration. A phase II clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of the digital therapy research prototype for improving reading speed and accuracy in people with poststroke aphasia (acquired language impairment) and alexia. However, it also highlighted the complexities and barriers to delivering self-managed therapies at home. Therefore, in order to translate the positive study results into real-world benefits, iReadMore required subsequent design innovation. Here, we present qualitative findings from the co-design process as well as the methodology.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 We aimed to present a methodology for inclusive co-design in the redesign of a digital therapy prototype, focusing on elements of accessibility and user engagement. We used framework analysis to explore the themes of the communications and interactions from the co-design process.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 This study included 2 stages. In the first stage, 5 in-person co-design sessions were held with participants living with poststroke aphasia (n=22) and their carers (n=3), and in the second stage, remote one-to-one beta-testing sessions were held with participants with aphasia (n=20) and their carers (n=5) to test and refine the final design. Data collection included video recordings of the co-design sessions in addition to participants’ written notes and drawings. Framework analysis was used to identify themes within the data relevant to the design of digital aphasia therapies in general.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 From a qualitative framework analysis of the data generated in the co-design process, 7 key areas of consideration for digital aphasia therapies have been proposed and discussed in context. The themes generated were agency, intuitive design, motivation, personal trajectory, recognizable and relatable content, social and sharing, and widening participation. This study enabled the deployment of the iReadMore app in an accessible and engaging format.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 Co-design is a valuable strategy for innovating beyond traditional therapy designs to utilize what is achievable with technology-based therapies in user-centered design. The co-designed iReadMore app has been publicly released for use in the rehabilitation of acquired reading impairments. This paper details the co-design process for the iReadMore therapy app and provides a methodology for how inclusive co-design can be conducted with people with aphasia. The findings of the framework analysis offer insights into design considerations for digital therapies that are important to people living with aphasia.\u0000","PeriodicalId":73555,"journal":{"name":"JMIR neurotechnology","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91066817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A NOVEL SYSTEM TO MONITOR TIC ATTACKS FOR TOURETTE'S SYNDROME USING MACHINE LEARNING AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY: PROPOSAL FOR A NEW SENSING DEVICE (Preprint)","authors":"Agni Rajinikanth, David Clark, M. E. Kapsetaki","doi":"10.2196/43351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/43351","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73555,"journal":{"name":"JMIR neurotechnology","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87340599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Guterud, H. Bugge, J. Røislien, K. Larsen, Erik Eriksen, Svein Håkon Ingebretsen, Martin Lerstang Mikkelsen, J. Kramer-Johansen, Kristi G. Bache, E. Sandset, M. R. Hov
Time spent in the prehospital phase of acute stroke care is multifactorial and has an effect on the possibilities for acute treatment. Communication between paramedics and the in-hospital stroke team directly affects time to treatment. A mutual stroke scale such as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) may improve communication quality. The Paramedic Norwegian Acute Stroke Prehospital Project (ParaNASPP) was a stepped-wedge, randomized trial of stroke screening using NIHSS in the ambulance where the intervention was training paramedics in stroke and the NIHSS, with the use of NIHSS made into a mobile app to guide the examination and facilitate communication with the in-hospital stroke team. The aim of this study was to validate the digital training model from the ParaNASPP clinical trial. In total, 24 paramedics were recruited from Oslo University Hospital in Norway to complete the ParaNASPP training model; 20 exclusive videos with predefined NIHSS scores were recorded; and 4 stroke physicians from Oslo University Hospital were included for reference. Bland-Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were calculated—first comparing paramedics and stroke physicians to the predefined scores and then with each other. The predefined LoA were set to 3 points. To align with clinical practice, NIHSS scores were also dichotomized into 2 categories: from 0-5 (minor stroke) or ≥6 (moderate and major stroke), and agreement was calculated using Cohen κ. The videos (n=20) had a median (range) NIHSS score of 7 (0-31). The paramedics’ scores were slightly higher than the predefined scores with a mean difference of –0.38 and the LoA ranging from –4.04 to 3.29. The paramedics scored higher than the stroke physicians with a mean difference of –0.39, with the LoA ranging from –4.58 to 3.80. When the NIHSS scores were dichotomized, Cohen κ was 0.89 between the predefined scores and paramedics, 0.92 between the predefined scores and stroke physicians, and 0.81 between the paramedics and stroke physicians, all indicating very good agreement. The paramedics scored higher than both the predefined scores and stroke physicians’ scores, hence the predefined LoA were not met. However, the width of the LoA was smaller than seen when experienced neurologists are compared. When the NIHSS scores were dichotomized, the paramedics achieved very good agreement with both the predefined scores and stroke physicians’ scores. This study demonstrates the possibilities for the transfer of clinical competence in digital simulation training.
{"title":"Interrater Agreement on National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Between Paramedics and Stroke Physicians: Validation Study for the Digital Training Model in the Paramedic Norwegian Acute Stroke Prehospital Project","authors":"M. Guterud, H. Bugge, J. Røislien, K. Larsen, Erik Eriksen, Svein Håkon Ingebretsen, Martin Lerstang Mikkelsen, J. Kramer-Johansen, Kristi G. Bache, E. Sandset, M. R. Hov","doi":"10.2196/39444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/39444","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 Time spent in the prehospital phase of acute stroke care is multifactorial and has an effect on the possibilities for acute treatment. Communication between paramedics and the in-hospital stroke team directly affects time to treatment. A mutual stroke scale such as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) may improve communication quality. The Paramedic Norwegian Acute Stroke Prehospital Project (ParaNASPP) was a stepped-wedge, randomized trial of stroke screening using NIHSS in the ambulance where the intervention was training paramedics in stroke and the NIHSS, with the use of NIHSS made into a mobile app to guide the examination and facilitate communication with the in-hospital stroke team.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 The aim of this study was to validate the digital training model from the ParaNASPP clinical trial.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 In total, 24 paramedics were recruited from Oslo University Hospital in Norway to complete the ParaNASPP training model; 20 exclusive videos with predefined NIHSS scores were recorded; and 4 stroke physicians from Oslo University Hospital were included for reference. Bland-Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were calculated—first comparing paramedics and stroke physicians to the predefined scores and then with each other. The predefined LoA were set to 3 points. To align with clinical practice, NIHSS scores were also dichotomized into 2 categories: from 0-5 (minor stroke) or ≥6 (moderate and major stroke), and agreement was calculated using Cohen κ.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 The videos (n=20) had a median (range) NIHSS score of 7 (0-31). The paramedics’ scores were slightly higher than the predefined scores with a mean difference of –0.38 and the LoA ranging from –4.04 to 3.29. The paramedics scored higher than the stroke physicians with a mean difference of –0.39, with the LoA ranging from –4.58 to 3.80. When the NIHSS scores were dichotomized, Cohen κ was 0.89 between the predefined scores and paramedics, 0.92 between the predefined scores and stroke physicians, and 0.81 between the paramedics and stroke physicians, all indicating very good agreement.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 The paramedics scored higher than both the predefined scores and stroke physicians’ scores, hence the predefined LoA were not met. However, the width of the LoA was smaller than seen when experienced neurologists are compared. When the NIHSS scores were dichotomized, the paramedics achieved very good agreement with both the predefined scores and stroke physicians’ scores. This study demonstrates the possibilities for the transfer of clinical competence in digital simulation training.\u0000","PeriodicalId":73555,"journal":{"name":"JMIR neurotechnology","volume":"99 27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83681410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Chidambaram, M. Palumbo, V. Stifano, John McKenna, A. Redaelli, A. Olivi, M. Apuzzo, S. Pannullo
Extended reality (XR) is a term that captures a variety of techniques, such as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR), which allow users to interact with virtual models in real time. This technology has an emerging role in several applications within neurosurgery. XR can be useful in enhancing how radiosurgical cases are planned. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) review is an essential part of the radiosurgery case planning process; during case discussions, patient images are reviewed, usually in 2D or 3D modifications. The current commercially available platforms for this review need improvement. We describe a novel visualization application, titled “NeuroVis” by our development team, which uses an XR Microsoft HoloLens headset to provide an interactive 3D visualization of a patient’s neuroanatomy in stereotactic surgery (SRS) case planning discussions. We present examples of 6 common radiosurgery indications to demonstrate the utility of NeuroVis to solve common visualization hurdles in MDTs. The utility of NeuroVis is demonstrated through 6 common brain tumor SRS cases as a proof-of-concept illustration of the utility of NeuroVis to enhance radiosurgery case discussion by improving visualization of the standard neuroimaging used in radiosurgery treatment planning by MDTs. The NeuroVis application provides several interactive features that produce an enhanced ability to place participating members of an interdisciplinary treatment team on the same visualization plane. This technology, by facilitating team discussions and case review, has the potential to improve the efficiency, efficacy, and safety of radiosurgery treatment planning and, as a result, to optimize patient care.
{"title":"The Potential for Using Extended Reality Technology in Interdisciplinary Case Discussions and Case Planning in Stereotactic Radiosurgery: Proof-of-Concept Usability Study","authors":"S. Chidambaram, M. Palumbo, V. Stifano, John McKenna, A. Redaelli, A. Olivi, M. Apuzzo, S. Pannullo","doi":"10.2196/36960","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/36960","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 Extended reality (XR) is a term that captures a variety of techniques, such as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR), which allow users to interact with virtual models in real time. This technology has an emerging role in several applications within neurosurgery. XR can be useful in enhancing how radiosurgical cases are planned. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) review is an essential part of the radiosurgery case planning process; during case discussions, patient images are reviewed, usually in 2D or 3D modifications. The current commercially available platforms for this review need improvement.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 We describe a novel visualization application, titled “NeuroVis” by our development team, which uses an XR Microsoft HoloLens headset to provide an interactive 3D visualization of a patient’s neuroanatomy in stereotactic surgery (SRS) case planning discussions.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 We present examples of 6 common radiosurgery indications to demonstrate the utility of NeuroVis to solve common visualization hurdles in MDTs.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 The utility of NeuroVis is demonstrated through 6 common brain tumor SRS cases as a proof-of-concept illustration of the utility of NeuroVis to enhance radiosurgery case discussion by improving visualization of the standard neuroimaging used in radiosurgery treatment planning by MDTs.\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 \u0000 The NeuroVis application provides several interactive features that produce an enhanced ability to place participating members of an interdisciplinary treatment team on the same visualization plane. This technology, by facilitating team discussions and case review, has the potential to improve the efficiency, efficacy, and safety of radiosurgery treatment planning and, as a result, to optimize patient care.\u0000","PeriodicalId":73555,"journal":{"name":"JMIR neurotechnology","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88676772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacob B. Michaud, Cameron Penny, Olivia Cull, É. Hervet, Ludivine Chamard-Witkowski
Background: Many apps have been designed to remotely assess clinical status and monitor symptom evolution in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). These may one day serve as an adjunct for in-person assessment of persons with MS, providing valuable insight into the disease course that is not well captured by cross-sectional snapshots obtained from clinic visits. Objective: This study sought to review the current literature surrounding apps used for remote monitoring of persons with MS. Methods: A scoping review of published articles was conducted to identify and evaluate the literature published regarding the use of apps for monitoring of persons with MS. PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to January 2022. Cohort studies, feasibility studies, and randomized controlled trials were included in this review. All pediatric studies, single case studies, poster presentations, opinion pieces, and commentaries were excluded. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, when applicable. Key findings were grouped in categories (convergence to neurological exam, feasibility of implementation, impact of weather, and practice effect), and trends are presented. In a parallel systematic search, the Canadian Apple App Store
{"title":"Remote Testing Apps for Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Scoping Review of Published Articles and Systematic Search and Review of Public Smartphone Apps (Preprint)","authors":"Jacob B. Michaud, Cameron Penny, Olivia Cull, É. Hervet, Ludivine Chamard-Witkowski","doi":"10.2196/37944","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/37944","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Many apps have been designed to remotely assess clinical status and monitor symptom evolution in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). These may one day serve as an adjunct for in-person assessment of persons with MS, providing valuable insight into the disease course that is not well captured by cross-sectional snapshots obtained from clinic visits. Objective: This study sought to review the current literature surrounding apps used for remote monitoring of persons with MS. Methods: A scoping review of published articles was conducted to identify and evaluate the literature published regarding the use of apps for monitoring of persons with MS. PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to January 2022. Cohort studies, feasibility studies, and randomized controlled trials were included in this review. All pediatric studies, single case studies, poster presentations, opinion pieces, and commentaries were excluded. Studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, when applicable. Key findings were grouped in categories (convergence to neurological exam, feasibility of implementation, impact of weather, and practice effect), and trends are presented. In a parallel systematic search, the Canadian Apple App Store","PeriodicalId":73555,"journal":{"name":"JMIR neurotechnology","volume":"284 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76843481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}