title: Quantitative home-based assessment of Parkinson's symptoms: the SENSE-PARK feasibility and usability study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, assessment of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease is mainly performed in the clinic. However, these assessments have limitations because they provide only a snapshot of the condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  The feasibility and usability of an objective, continuous and relatively unobtrusive system (SENSE-PARK System), which consists of wearable sensors (three worn during the day and one worn at night), a smartphone-based App, a balance board and computer software, was tested 24/7 over 12 weeks in a study including 22 PD patients. During the first four weeks of the study, patients did not get feedback about their performance, during the last eight weeks they did. The study included seven clinical visits with standardized interviews, and regular phone contact. The primary outcome was the number of drop-outs during the study. As secondary outcomes, the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ), score and information obtained from the standardized interviews were used to evaluate the usability of the system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients completed the study. The participants rated the usability of the SENSE-PARK System with a mean score of 2.67 (±0.49) on the PSSUQ. The interviews revealed that most participants liked using the system and appreciated that it signaled changes in their health condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This 12 week controlled study demonstrates that the acceptance level of PD patients using the SENSE-PARK System as a home-based 24/7 assessment is very good. Particular emphasis should be given to a user-friendly design. Motivation to wear such a system can be increased by providing direct feedback about the individual health condition.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.|Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.|CNS - Campus Neurológico Sénior, Torres Vedras, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Joaquim J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.|CNS - Campus Neurológico Sénior, Torres Vedras, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.|Center for Interdisciplinary Research Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, Caparica, Portugal. cgcgodinho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Godinho
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. aa.teresa.ss@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. domingosjosefa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Josefa
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domingos
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. daideabreu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Daisy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. raquel.jl.lobo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. nilzakarina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nilza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. marciocbarra@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marcio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barra
authors.affiliation: NST-Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. Frank.Larsen@telemed.no.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: NST-Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. oyvind.fagerbakke@framhelse.no.
authors.forename: Øyvind
authors.initials: Ø
authors.lastname: Fagerbakke
authors.affiliation: NST-Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. ingvild.akeren@framhelse.no.
authors.forename: Ingvild
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akeren
authors.affiliation: NST-Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. Hilde.wangen@framhelse.no.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wangen
authors.affiliation: NST-Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway. jarturserrano@gmail.com.|Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. jarturserrano@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J Artur
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Hasomed GmbH, Magdeburg, Germany. weber.peter@hasomed.de.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Hasomed GmbH, Magdeburg, Germany. andrea.thoms@hasomed.de.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thoms
authors.affiliation: HSG-IMIT, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany. stefan.meckler@hsg-imit.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meckler
authors.affiliation: AbilityNet, London, UK. stefan.sollinger@abilitynet.org.uk.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sollinger
authors.affiliation: Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegeneration, Center of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. janetvanuem@gmail.com.|DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany. janetvanuem@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Uem
authors.affiliation: Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegeneration, Center of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. markus.hobert@med.uni-tuebingen.de.|DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany. markus.hobert@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Markus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hobert
authors.affiliation: Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegeneration, Center of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. katrin-simone.maier@student.uni-tuebingen.de.|DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany. katrin-simone.maier@student.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Katrin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: The Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK. helen@cureparkinsons.org.uk.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matthew
authors.affiliation: The Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK. tom@cureparkinsons.org.uk.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isaacs
authors.affiliation: The Cure Parkinson's Trust, London, UK. joy@cureparkinsons.org.uk.
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duffen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tuebingen, Germany. holm.graessner@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Holm
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Graessner
authors.affiliation: Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Neurodegeneration, Center of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. walter.maetzler@uni-tuebingen.de.|DZNE, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany. walter.maetzler@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maetzler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects