Assistive Technology Usability Questionnaire for people with Neurological diseases Questionnaire (NATU Quest)

Abstract

The Assistive Technology Usability Questionnaire for people with Neurological diseases (NATU Quest), developed by Masbernat-Almenara et al. in 2023, is designed to evaluate the usability of assistive technology products and user satisfaction specifically for individuals with neurological diseases. The development of this 10-item questionnaire involved a Delphi study to identify relevant content. Its psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and item response theory results, have been reported based on a Spanish sample of both experts and users.

Keywords

Assistive Technology, Usability, People with Neurological Diseases, NATU Quest

Authors

Masbernat-Almenara, Maria; Rubi-Carnacea, Francesc; Opisso, Eloy; Duarte-Oller, Esther; Medina-Casanovas, Josep; Valenzuela-Pascual, Fran

Purpose

The primary purpose of the NATU Questionnaire is to assess the usability of assistive technologies that are accessible to individuals diagnosed with neurological diseases. This assessment aims to provide insights into how effectively and satisfactorily these technologies serve their intended users.

Validity

Content Validity: The content validity of the NATU Quest was established through a rigorous process. The authors identified nine items that exceeded a threshold of 0.58, indicating their relevance and appropriateness for inclusion. Ultimately, ten items were chosen to form the final questionnaire, based on this content validation.

Concurrent Validity: The NATU Quest demonstrates strong concurrent validity. A significant correlation was observed between the total scores of the NATU Quest and other established and validated questionnaires, as evidenced by a Spearman’s coefficient of ρ = 0.756 (p<0.001). This indicates that the NATU Quest measures similar constructs to other recognized instruments.

Item Response Theory: The ten items comprising the NATU Quest have shown a satisfactory fit to the Rasch model. This suggests that the items function well within an item response theory framework, allowing for robust measurement and interpretation of individual differences in assistive technology usability.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The internal consistency reliability of the NATU Questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding a coefficient of α = 0.895. This value indicates a high level of internal consistency, suggesting that the items within the questionnaire are highly interrelated and measure a common underlying construct.

Test-Retest Reliability: The test-retest reliability of the NATU Quest demonstrates moderate to considerable concordance among its items, as indicated by the Kappa coefficient. Furthermore, a strong association between test-retest administrations was found with a Spearman’s coefficient of ρ = 0.818 (p<0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated as 0.869, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.781 to 0.923. These results collectively affirm the stability and consistency of the NATU Quest over time.

Factor Analysis

No factor analysis was indicated in the provided information.

Instrument: NATU Questionnaire

Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: The NATU Questionnaire consists of 10 items. Each item is rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 0 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree. To enhance user experience and facilitate choices, each numerical rating is associated with a specific color from a traffic light scheme (e.g., green for agreement, red for disagreement). Additionally, faces with varying expressions are used to accompany each number, providing a visual aid for response selection. The administration method is electronic.

Language Available: The questionnaire is available in Spanish. No data is Available regarding other languages.

Population Group: Human (Male and Female)

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older)

Population Details: The study sample for the development and validation of the NATU Quest included both Assistive Technology Users and Experts. The research was conducted in Spain.

Test Methodology: The methodology employed in the development and validation of the NATU Questionnaire involved several key psychometric analyses: Test Validity (including Concurrent Validity and Content Validity), Test Reliability (including Internal Consistency and Test-Retest Reliability), and Item Response Theory.

Keywords

Assistive Technology, Usability, People with Neurological Diseases

Authors Including Author ORCID Identifier and Affiliation Email Addresses Correspondence Address

• Masbernat-Almenara, Maria:

  • ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-5822-239X

  • Affiliation: Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida

• Rubi-Carnacea, Francesc:

  • Affiliation: Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida

  • Email address: [email protected]

  • Correspondence Address: [email protected]

• Opisso, Eloy:

  • ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-6868-6737

  • Affiliation: Institut Guttmann, Neurorehabilitation Institute

• Duarte-Oller, Esther:

  • Affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department Parc de Salut Mar (Hospital del Mar, Hospital de l’Esperanca)

• Medina-Casanovas, Josep:

  • Affiliation: Institut Guttmann, Neurorehabilitation Institute

• Valenzuela-Pascual, Fran:

  • ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-1945-629X

  • Affiliation: Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: The NATU Questionnaire may be used for Research/Teaching purposes. The website for permissions is creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en.

Fee: No fee is associated with the use of this instrument.

Test Year: 2023

References

Masbernat-Almenara, M., Rubi-Carnacea, F., Opisso, E., Duarte-Oller, E., Medina-Casanovas, J., & Valenzuela-Pascual, F. (2023). Developing an assistive technology usability questionnaire for people with neurological diseases. PLoS ONE, 18(1), Article e0281197. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281197

Items of the NATU Questionnaire

The NATU Questionnaire consists of 10 items. Specific details of these items are available in the supplemental material at Test Location: 2023-43869-001.

NATU Questionnaire