Perspectives and expectations of stroke survivors using egocentric cameras for monitoring hand function at home: a mixed methods study

Abstract

Purpose

Most stroke survivors have remaining upper limb impairment six months after stroke and require additional rehabilitation and help from family members to enhance their performance of daily activities. First-person (egocentric) video has been proposed to capture the activities of daily living (ADLs) of stroke survivors in order to assess their hand function at home. This study explored the experiences and expectations of stroke survivors regarding the use of egocentric cameras in daily life for rehabilitation applications.

Methods

Twenty-one chronic stroke survivors recruited for the study were asked to record three sessions of 1.5 h of video of their ADLs at home over two weeks. Their experiences and expectations after completing the recordings were discussed using a structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The questionnaire and interview data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis, respectively. The results were further integrated using a mixed methods analysis for mutual explanation and elaboration.

Results

The themes generated were Camera Usability, Privacy Concerns Related to Home Recordings, Future Use of the Camera in Public, and Information Usefulness. The participants perceived that the camera was easy to use, the information obtained from the recordings was beneficial, and no major concerns about recording at home. A discreet camera and a solution to privacy issues were prerequisites to recording tasks in public.

Conclusions

There was high acceptance among stroke survivors regarding the use of wearable cameras for rehabilitation purposes in the future. Concerns to be managed include discomfort, self-consciousness, and the privacy of others.

Implications for rehabilitation

• The egocentric camera was easy for the stroke survivors to use at home. However, they expressed a preference for cameras to be less noticeable and lighter in the future to minimize self-consciousness and discomfort.

• Expectations for future use of an egocentric camera for upper limb rehabilitation at home from the perspectives of stroke survivors included receiving feedback on their hand function in daily life and guidance on how to improve function.

• Privacy concerns of stroke survivors regarding recording activities of daily living were mostly avoidable by planning in advance. However, some personal hygiene tasks and virtual meetings were recorded by accident. A checklist of common activities that may raise privacy issues can be provided along with the camera to serve as a reminder to avoid these issues.

Keywords:

• Upper limb rehabilitation
• upper limb function assessment
• home assessment
• remote rehabilitation
• wearable camera
• mixed methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation (G-18-0020952).