Affiliations: Department of Physical Therapy, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong, Korea
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ki Hun Cho, Department of Physical Therapy, Korea National University of Transportation, 61 Daehak-ro, Jeungpyeong-gun, Chungbuk 27909, Korea. Tel.: +82 43 820 5206; Fax: +82 43 820 5202; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Traditional canes have no special functions besides weight support, and their long-term use may cause secondary damage to the musculoskeletal system and gait deviation. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the usability of the cane-combined weight support feedback device (CWSFD) to identify areas requiring improvement and the current level of satisfaction. METHODS: As a collet-type device, the CWSFD has a structure allowing attachment and detachment at the lower end of a traditional mono cane. To assess the level of satisfaction and areas of improvement regarding the novel CWSFD, a usability test was conducted on 10 physical therapists with ⩾ 20 years of clinical experience. The usability test comprised a satisfaction survey questionnaire to determine the level of satisfaction, and an in-depth interview to identify the points of improvement. RESULTS: The usability test demonstrated a moderate or higher level of satisfaction in all tested items, and the in-depth interview revealed that the device should have a lower weight with a greater diversity of feedback. CONCLUSIONS: We anticipate that by implementing the respective improvements, a novel device will be developed in the future; for its commercialization, studies to verify the clinical effectiveness are warranted.
Keywords: Cane, gait, satisfaction, usability test, weight support
