Formative Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Telerehabilitation System for the Lower Extremity

Usability studies are an essential and iterative component of technology development and ease its transfer from the laboratory to the clinic. Although such studies are standard methodology in today’s graphical user interface/windows world of applications, new technologies strain the current methods and require experimentation in what can be transferred to the new user interaction situations. In this paper five integrated interfaces with three simultaneous users and a remote monitoring setup are evaluated via a usability study that uses both traditional and new methods to assess the viability of the interface design. This formative evaluation was carried out by an expert domain user on the Rutgers Ankle Rehabilitation System (RARS) and its telerehabilitation sub-system. The tester and developer’s observations, along with the session videotapes and therapist-user questionnaires were triangulated to identify user problems and suggest design changes that will increase the usability of the system. Changes that resulted from the analysis are described and recommendations for future usability studies are proposed. The validity of usability studies in the development and refinement of rehabilitation technology is highlighted.

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