WalkWithMe: Personalized goal setting and coaching for walking in people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

People with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) suffer from a diverse set of symptoms such as fatigue, pain, depression, and decline in motor and cognitive function. It has been proven that physical activity has a positive effect on most of these symptoms. However, many pwMS lead sedentary lives, and do not meet the guidelines for physical activity. We propose WalkWithMe, a mobile application that supports pwMS in walking. WalkWithMe coaches pwMS in achieving a personal goal over a period of 10 weeks. We conducted a workshop with pwMS and brainstorm sessions with experts in rehabilitation to define the design choices of WalkWithMe. We examined the impact of WalkWithMe in a 10-week field study with 13 pwMS. The study revealed insights in walking habits, and positive trends in walking capacity. In this paper, we present the design aspects of WalkWithMe, findings of our 10-week evaluation, and resulting insights on goal setting for pwMS.