Acceptance of digital rehabilitation aftercare for musculoskeletal disorders: A cohort study

Abstract

Objective The study investigated the acceptance of a digital rehabilitation aftercare in form of the Caspar-app for rehabilitants with musculoskeletal disorders. We aimed to identify the most important factors based on the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3), which influence the intention to use and the actual use of digital rehabilitation aftercare. Material and Methods Rehabilitants were recruited for a survey at two time points. In the first survey, determinants of intention to use and actual use were collected. In the second survey, we recorded the chosen form of aftercare and the reasons for not using the app. The correlations between the influencing factors were estimated using a generalized structural equation model (GSEM). Results 152 rehabilitants took part in the first survey and 64 in the second survey. The respondents who chose a conventional aftercare option cited the belief that they would not achieve the desired results with the app as the main reason for their decision (55%). We found strong associations between functional outcome expectations and perceived usefulness as well as between perceived usefulness and intention to use. The association between a high intention to use and actual use was also confirmed. Conclusions The strong influence of outcome expectations and the low utilization of digital rehabilitation aftercare may be due to the high importance of physical exercises with therapists, which are central to the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders. The observed influences of perceived usability and usefulness on the intention to use and use support the assumptions of TAM 3. The most important recommendation for action is to show the rehabilitants the non-inferiority of digital rehabilitation aftercare in the form of the Caspar-app.