The Feasibility of mHealth for Monitoring Balance and Promoting Self-management in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease

Zixuan Yao, Hsiao-Chu Yang, Christine Toh, Kelly Gonzales, Melissa Leon, Ka-Chun Siu
Purpose:

This study evaluated the feasibility of individuals using the BACA and its effectiveness for monitoring balance performance in patients' home settings. In addition, we investigated the role of BACA in promoting the self-management of health.

Methods:

Eleven individuals with PD used the BACA to perform balance tests (eye open, standing with eye closed, Timed Up and Go, 10-meter walk, and five times sit to stand) in their home environment for four weeks. During the use of the BACA, balance parameters and subjective feedback in self-management of health were collected. The feasibility of the BACA usage and the quality of data collection were analyzed using adherence and good trial rates. Pearson's correlations were used to analyze the relationship between balance parameters and adherence, disease severity, and good trial rates to reveal BACA's impact on daily activities, the change of balance parameters, and self-management of health.

Results:

Nine participants were able to use the BACA with high confidence; two dropped out of the study for personal reasons. While using BACA, no participants experienced any adverse events, and all of them provided positive feedback afterward. The average adherence rate among participants was 87.5%, The good trial rates among the participants were from 83.3% to 100%. Strong correlations were found between the 10-meter walk test and adherence (R=0.716; P=0.030), and the total usage of time (R=0.770; P=0.015). A strong correlation was also found between five times sit-to-stand test and self-rated health (R=0.671; P=0.048).

Conclusion(s):

Individuals with PD can use mHealth, such as BACA, to monitor balance and promote self-management at their residences with moderate to high adherence and no risk of injury. Also, the good adherence rate and reliable and good quality of balance data make the BACA suitable for further studies with larger sample sizes, longer intervention periods, and follow-up.

Implications:

The BACA could be used as a remote technology for monitoring balance and prompting self-management for individuals with PD living in rural areas. Physical therapists can potentially use reliable BACA data for clinical decision-making to develop plans of care.

Funding acknowledgements:
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Center for Patient, Family, and Community Engagement in Chronic Care Management funding.
Keywords:
Parkinson's Disease
mHealth
Balance
Primary topic:
Neurology: Parkinson's disease
Second topic:
Older people
Third topic:
Research methodology, knowledge translation and implementation science
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
The University of Nebraska Medical Center institutional review board
Provide the ethics approval number:
IRB # 0898-20-EP
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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