Aspects determining adherence to wrist-hand orthoses in patients with peripheral neuropathies

BACKGROUND: People with peripheral neuropathies may experience significant sensorimotor impairment. Prescribed treatment includes wearing an orthosis. However, a common barrier to treatment effectiveness is patient adherence. Given the limited information available, it is essential to gather evidence on treatment adherence challenges. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify aspects that influence adherence to orthotic treatment in patients with peripheral neuropathies. METHODS: We applied a survey that included evaluation items from the Quest 2.0 to assess importance and satisfaction and self-developed questions. We conducted the assessment following the principles of Kano's model to understand the nature of the aspects influencing adherence and prioritize opportunities for product improvement. RESULTS: Satisfaction with ease of adjustment, weight, ease of use, effectiveness, and dimensions, as well as perceived interference with daily activities, influences adherence to treatment. We found no correlation between orthosis appearance and adherence. However, it is a basic quality attribute and should be considered a relevant design requirement to avoid product rejection. CONCLUSIONS: We found differences between the estimate of importance obtained by explicit and inexplicit queries. Thus, cross-checking information from different query methods could minimize potential biases and accurately assess users' perceptions of rehabilitation products.