A 3D assessment and feedback tool for Ankylosing Spondylitis from the perspective of healthcare professionals

ABSTRACT To investigate the utility of 3D visualization technology to augment assessment and feedback for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a visualization prototype was developed, and both subjective and objective measures of current assessment instruments were compared. To verify and establish a base-line for the prototype’s effectiveness, motion data and measurement data from a healthy adult in a laboratory environment were collected. To validate the prototype, a qualitative evaluation was undertaken using multiple methods including a pilot study, focus groups, and individual interviews. Research subjects comprised physiotherapists in clinical practice and academia and content analysis of their responses was used to substantiate the findings. The prototype enhanced both assessment and feedback of AS from the physiotherapist’s perspective and they believed it to be superior to the current methods used in practice for assessing the condition and in documenting variations for subsequent treatment. The physiotherapists believed that such a system had potential to encourage multidisciplinary working, and to be patient-centric, both with respect to the process of treatment and with regard to the convenience it offered to patients in managing their own condition. 3D visualization of AS symptoms and its treatment via exercise is a valuable technique as demonstrated by the prototype system.