Designing Computerized Gait Analysis for Pediatric Care: Clinician Perspectives on Sensing, Workflow, and Care Environments
TL;DR
Design implications for pediatric CGA are offered, including designing sensing and calibration for smaller and changing bodies, including designing sensing and calibration for smaller and changing bodies.
Abstract
Computerized gait analysis (CGA) is a diagnostic tool for various disorders in children, enabling objective assessment of movement for clinical interventions. Existing work on pediatric CGA has focused on technical/clinical performance, leaving less understood about how clinicians interact with these systems in practice. We interviewed 12 pediatric clinicians and one system designer experienced with CGA. Participants described mismatches between CGA and pediatric care, including children's sensory sensitivities to wearables, difficulties placing sensors on child-sized bodies, and challenges with engagement during data collection. These mismatches required clinicians to adapt procedures to children's bodies, behaviors, and needs. Clinicians highlighted opportunities to extend CGA into environments such as playgrounds, where children's movement could be assessed in contexts relevant to their development. Based on these insights, we offer design implications for pediatric CGA, including designing sensing and calibration for smaller and changing bodies. Our study informs clinical technologies that account for pediatric needs.
