Augmented reality glasses as a new tele-rehabilitation tool for home use: patients’ perception and expectations

Abstract

Purpose of the study: Explore perceptions, expectations and challenges following a telerehabilitation programme using augmented reality glasses (ARG) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or recently diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI).

Materials and Methods

A qualitative approach was employed to track perspectives from a range of patients with chronic lung and/or heart diseases. COPD, IPF and MI outpatients from Denmark and Finland were invited to participate. Data were collected through focus group and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Qualitative analysis was performed using standard thematic analytical approaches. A topic guide was used to explore experiences and perceptions of the ARG telerehabilitation device among participants.

Results

Thirteen patients (4 MI, 2 IPF and 7 COPD), 3 women and 10 men aged 56 to 75 years (mean age 63.3 years) were allocated into one focus group (9 patients) and 4 interviews (4 patients). Twelve patients reported the added value of ARG and suggested constructive changes such as the adjustable screen/brightness, robust head fixation for exercise performance, easy to navigate interface and supported feedback based on exercise performance.

Conclusion

Patients with chronic heart or lung diseases described the added value in an ARG telerehabilitation programme. Improvements for a future version of the ARG were suggested.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Patients with chronic pulmonary and heart diseases have difficulties to change behaviour to a more active and healthy lifestyle, offers from the health sector to participate in rehabilitation programmes at the hospital are feasible and improves quality of life and exercise capacity. Not all the patients are capable of participating in such rehabilitation programmes due to frailty and long distance to the hospital. Telerehabilitation seems to be a potential treatment to cope with the needs expressed above.

• Patient involvement in the development of a telerehabilitation solution to empower chronic pulmonary and heart patients to train, ensures a positive contribution to the design of the expected augmented reality software and hardware envisioned solution for telerehabilitation.

• The development of a user-centered telerehabilitation platform responding to the preferences of patients with chronic disease will remove barriers that limit use and compliance and improve empowerment in future research projects.

Keywords:

• Augmented reality
• rehabilitation
• chronic heart patients
• chronic lung patients
• technology
• usefulness

Author contributions

JCH reviewed the literature and together with SE created the “Optimov Exercise Demo” to be shown via ARG. EB and AL informed about and invited patients with chronic lung disease at Aarhus University Hospital to a focus group. MT and AK did the same with patients with chronic heart disease at Oulu University to be interviewed with semi-structured in-depth interviews. JCH and SM conducted the focus group interview and semi-structured in-depth interviews, collected and consolidated the data with the help from EB, AL, MT and AK. JCH and DCM selected the available data and identified the publication process. JCH drafted the manuscript and MT, AK, AL, SE, EB, DCM revised it. DCM leaded the publication phase and final review following the Journal requirements. All authors revised the study protocol, collected data, and approved the final report.

Disclosure statement

The goal of the project is to innovate inside today’s rehabilitation of patients with chronic heart and lung disease using new technology that can overcome barriers for treatment to reach more patients with less resources and empower them to cope with their disease. Four European companies: Physio R&D IVS, bookBeo, Laster Technologies and Cortrium are for-profit organisations, which might commercialise an improved version of the technology to be developed based on results from this study. JCH MT are owners of Physio R&D IVS. AK, AL, SE, EB, DCM declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

The project is partially funded by EUROSTARS and Aarhus University.