PhD defence H.E.M. (Hanneke) Braakhuis

Dissertation in short:

Optimizing physical behavior is essential for patients in rehabilitation because of their motor recovery and lowering the risk of, for example, cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is important that the movement behavior is measured accurately. Wearable activity monitors offer a solution. They can measure the postures and movements of people in their daily lives in an objective, reliable and in a user-friendly manner. The use of these sensors has a lot of potential for rehabilitation. They can provide automatic feedback and the stimulate self-management, so that the involvement of a professional is less often needed. This dissertation addresses essential issues concerning an effective and evidence-based application of wearable monitors in rehabilitation. One of these questions relates to the outcome measures of objectively measured movement behavior, for example the duration, intensity and frequency of movement. The thesis shows that important information might be lost due to the use of incorrect outcome measures. Therefore, it will be necessary to critically examine which outcome measures are suitable for the patient and his status. In addition, the use of wearable monitors for giving feedback appears to be effective, subject to the patient group and other available behavior modification techniques. Therapists also recognize the added value of wearable monitors in treatment, but still apply it only sparsely. Thus, there is much to be gained in the meaningful application of wearable technology in rehabilitation. In the future, this requires collective cooperation of various disciplines, such as researchers, designers, healthcare professionals, educational institutions and commercial parties.