Factors Associated with Patient Satisfaction in Customized Vestibular Exercise: A Pilot Study

Ryu, Hye Soo; Lee, Min Young; Jung, Jae Yun; Choi, Ji Eun

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Numerous studies have been reported on the effect of customized vestibular exercise (cVE), but only a few studies have been reported on the satisfaction of cVE. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that affect the satisfaction of cVE.
METHODS
A telephone survey was conducted on 37 patients who underwent cVE from January to November 2018. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 10 items, including subjective symptom, compliance and satisfaction of exercise, preferred methods of exercise, and appropriate costs. Based on the questionnaire of satisfaction, the clinical features, improvement of symptom, compliance, preferred methods of exercise were compared between satisfactory and unsatisfactory groups.
RESULTS
Of the 20 patients who responded to the telephone survey (response rate 57%), 10 patients were included in the satisfactory group and the remaining 10 were included in the unsatisfactory group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in age, sex, severity of subjective symptom before cVE, preferred methods of exercise. However, patients in the unsatisfactory group were significantly more likely to have chronic vestibulopathy and abnormal findings in dynamic posturography test than those in the satisfactory group. Subjective dizziness after cVE was significantly decreased in the satisfactory group, but there was no significant difference in the unsatisfactory group. These patients in the unsatisfactory group still had dizziness, but tended not to continue to exercise.
CONCLUSIONS
The satisfaction of cVE was significantly lower in patients with chronic vestibulopathy, postural instability, less improvement of dizziness, and poor compliance.