How do patients with chronic dizziness experience a web-based home rehabilitation programme for customised vestibular therapy ('WeBaVeR')? A qualitative study.

Abstract

Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) is the first choice approach for chronic dizziness. However, current home treatment programmes often lack attention to the individual needs of the patient and the integration of visual desensitisation therapy. We therefore developed a customised web-based VRT programme containing visual desensitisation exercises. To assess the user experience (usability, satisfaction, acceptability, and quality) of patients with chronic dizziness with the customised WEb-BAsed VEstibular Rehabilitation, further called 'WeBaVeR'. Patients with chronic dizziness, attending the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Antwerp University Hospital (period September 2021 to May 2022), received a customised programme, i.e. exercises supported by our web application and booklet. The programme lasted 6 weeks, with weekly supervision by phone. Patients' user experience was examined with the System Usability Scale (SUS), Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ), and the User version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS). Twelve patients with chronic dizziness (mean age: 45.33 ± 13.26 years) participated. The overall rated level of perceived usability (mean SUS score: 78.75 ± 8.95 points), satisfaction (mean CSQ score: 33.08 ± 3.37 points), acceptability (mean SUTAQ score: 105.67 ± 13.40 points) and quality (mean uMARS score: 94.58 ± 10.69 points) was good. The main remarks concerned the user interface and the interactive capabilities of the web application, and that WeBaVeR does not increase health awareness, or accessibility to health care providers. Patients with chronic dizziness consider WeBaVeR as useful, acceptable, satisfactory and of good quality. To facilitate implementation in practice, further optimisation of WeBaVeR based on the feedback received, is useful.