Exploring concordance between face-to-face and tele-assessment of upper limb functionality in people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) experience fatigue, pain, and sensory-motor disturbances that limit fundamental daily activities. The development of techniques for remotely assessing upper limb functionality is crucial for advancing telemedicine as an integral part of the continuum of care for PwMS. Objective: To assess the agreement between face-to-face assessment and tele-assessment of upper limb functionality in PwMS. Method: A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the concordance. Participants were evaluated twice: once physically and once remotely. Upper limb functionality (Manual Ability Measure), upper limb extremity muscle strength and endurance (30-second Arm Curl Test), and range of motion (Range of Movement) were assessed. Results: A total of 42 PwMS were included in this study. The participants were included in a face-to-face assessment and tele-assessment of upper limb functionality. Concordance between both methods for upper limb extremity muscle strength and endurance, manual dexterity, motor speed, precision, and range of motion was assessed as high. Moreover, most confidence intervals were narrow and excluded 0.8. Conclusion: Tele-assessment of upper limb functionality showed high concordance with face-to-face assessment in PwMS. Tele-assessment of upper limb functionality through a video call system could serve as a complementary or alternative method to meet the increasing demand for monitoring multiple sclerosis disease progression.