Resumo:
Introduction: Inertial sensor-based applications have been validated for measuring cervical
range of motion (ROM) in in-person settings. However, their use has been expanding to
telehealth settings, even without robust evidence on the reliability of remote measurements,
especially in the absence of a healthcare professional. Objective: To evaluate the inter-rater
consistency of video-guided cervical range of motion (ROM) assessments in healthy subjects
during telehealth settings. Materials and Methods: This reliability study was conducted with
healthy adults and approved by the Ethics Committee (report no. 6,333,45). Cervical ROM was
assessed with the Clinometer© application in two settings: in-person and via telehealth, with
the assistance of a companion. One evaluator performed the in-person measurements, and
subsequently, two different evaluators assisted the companions with the remote measurements.
Data were collected using a standardized protocol and analyzed using descriptive statistics and
Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) using Jamovi software (α = 0.05). Results: The final
sample consisted of 31 participants (15 women and 16 men; mean age: 24.2 ± 3.6 years). Interrater reliability was classified as excellent for all movements evaluated. The ICC values were:
flexion (ICC = 0.906; 95% CI: 0.815–0.945; p < 0.001), extension (ICC = 0.894; 95% CI:
0.792–0.947; p < 0.001), right lateral bending (ICC = 0.959; 95% CI: 0.917–0.980; p < 0.001)
and left lateral bending (ICC = 0.834; 95% CI: 0.686–0.916; p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis
confirmed good inter-rater agreement, with mean differences close to zero and clinically
acceptable limits of agreement. Conclusion: Although remote assessment of cervical ROM
using an application showed good inter-examiner reproducibility, intra-examiner comparisons
between in-person and remote contexts revealed significant inconsistencies, requiring further
validation in this environment.
