Satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of telerehabilitation for Parkinson's disease patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of a telerehabilitation programme for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: PD patients based on the diagnostic criteria for clinically established or probable PD published by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

METHODS

The telerehabilitation was conducted twice a week via a Zoom meeting platform, using pre-recorded rehabilitation contents shared during the sessions. In this study we administered several questionnaires, i.e., a self-report questionnaire on the effectiveness of telerehabilitation, the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), and the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), in order to evaluate the satisfaction, effectiveness, and usability of our telerehabilitation programme.

RESULTS

Fifty-six PD patients were included in the analysis. After 6 months, 91.1% expressed satisfaction with the telerehabilitation and 91.9% reported telerehabilitation had helped them develop an exercise routine, but the PDQ-39 showed no significant improvement in quality of life. The TUQ showed higher scores for Usefulness (76.1%), Ease of Use and Learnability (73.5%), Interface Quality (75.4%), and Satisfaction and Future Use (82.2%).

CONCLUSION

Satisfaction with telerehabilitation was high, particularly with regard to positive effects on emotional well-being. Telerehabilitation usability was also found to be high.