Clinical acceptance of a low-cost portable system for postural assessment

The drive towards evidence-based practice in health-care requires changes in work practices and supporting technology. In response to the requirement to provide evidence, the current research proposes a new low-cost system for 3-D postural assessment. The aims of the study were (1) to assess the technology acceptance model (Davis 1993) for the new system and (2) to derive user requirements with user involvement early in the development process. A prototype system was developed and demonstrated to physiotherapists. Technology acceptance was assessed using standardized questions (Davis and Venkatesh 1996) and user needs were assessed with open-ended questions. Relations between the technology acceptance components confirmed findings of previous research, with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness identified as pivotal factors in clinical acceptance, and implications for design were drawn. Specific user requirements for system development were derived from the qualitative results. The prospects for computer-aided quantitative assessment of posture are discussed.