Predisposition and Motivation Assessment in Using Technologies in Multiple Sclerosis. a Questionnaire on a Wearable Tool for Unobtrusive Motor and Cognitive Monitoring

Background: In the last years technologies were increasingly adopted both in daily activities and clinical practice. Thus the need to evaluate their use disposition is becoming a crucial aspect. It is very important especially for wearable systems created to facilitate quality of life of persons with motor and cognitive deficits.

Objectives: Here we assessed the predisposition and motivation of people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) to use wearable systems able to early detect changes in motor and cognitive performances and to allow the monitoring of daily activities.

Methods: The study is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a standardized Likert questionnaire able to measure predisposition and motivation to use technologies. Particularly, TAM evaluates the perceived usefulness and easiness in using technologies, referring to a specific selected system, verbally described before the administration. Here we selected a wearable and unobtrusive system able to monitor motor and cognitive performances during daily activities and the related wellbeing status. In particular this system, not yet realized, will allow to unobtrusively record behavioral information about the user and to daily and automatically send them to the personal tablet and/or smartphone for statistical analysis able to detect possible significant changes indicating a decline in performances. On the basis of the analysis automatically simple exercises will be suggested in order to recover a better status. Here we interviewed 28 PwSM (mean age 49,82 years; EDSS 0- 8; disease course RR, SP, PP).

Results: Preliminary results about the perceived usefulness showed that PwMS considered the selected system useful (75%) and able to improve their activities (79%) although they reported a lower intention to use again (61%). This discrepancy could be due to the real lack of a prototype. The 57% of the sample showed a feeling with technologies (70%). Therefore the system is considered easy-to-use, fully usable (68%) and agreeable (64%). Moreover, the use of technologies is favored by a preexisting familiarity. Dependency from age and disease course, although expected, is still matter of investigation.

Conclusions: Results showed a good predisposition to the system, important both as starting point for the design and development and because it took into account final users point of view. The TAM will be adopted during the testing phase in order to assess if the actual use could modify the initial perceptions.