The reliability and validity of joint range of motion measurement using zoom and a smartphone application

Abstract

[Purpose] This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of measuring the range of motion of joints using a remote videoconferencing system (Zoom) and a smartphone application. [Participants and Methods] This study included 16 young and healthy adults. The participants were instructed to perform shoulder joint flexion exercises in a seated position, with automatic motions, and maintain that posture throughout the measurement. Two measurements were performed: 1) angle measurement using a three-dimensional (3D) motion analyzer, and 2) angle measurement using the videoconference software, Zoom, and a smartphone application. Intra- and inter-rater reliabilities were calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The degree of agreement between the representative values of each measurer and the 3D motion analyzer was examined. [Results] ICC (1, 1) for intra-examiner reliability were 0.912 and 0.996. For the inter-rater reliability, the ICC (2, 1) was 0.945. The correlation coefficient between each examiner's value and the value of the 3D motion analyzer was 0.955 and 0.980, respectively. The Bland-Altman analysis results indicated no systematic error. [Conclusion] The method of remotely measuring joint range of motion using Zoom and a smartphone application demonstrated high reliability and validity.