A mobile app for home-based exercise in spinal cord injured persons: Proposal and pilot study

Digital Health, 2022 · DOI: 10.1177/20552076211070724 · Published: January 1, 2022

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Telehealth & Digital Health

Simple Explanation

The study introduces Fisiofriend, a smartphone app, to help individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) do exercises at home and checks if it is doable in a clinical setting. Fourteen male SCI patients were split into two groups: one used the Fisiofriend app, and the other used paper instructions for six weeks of exercises. The results showed that both groups had some improvements, but the app users seemed to enjoy the exercises more and felt more engaged.

Study Duration

6 weeks

Participants

14 male SCI patients

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Both groups showed a general maintenance of the original peak torque value for the elbow flexor and extensor muscles.
2
The APP group showed a 25% increase in workload (Watts) and a 19% increase in VO2peak during the stress test, while the PAPER group showed an 8% increase in VO2peak.
3
The APP group had higher ratings in terms of pleasantness, engagement, and perceived positive effects compared to the PAPER group.

Research Summary

The study evaluated Fisiofriend, a smartphone application designed to support SCI patients in home-based exercise programs, by comparing it with traditional paper instructions. Physiological results showed similar improvements in both groups, but subjective data suggested that the APP group experienced more pleasantness, engagement, and perceived positive effects. The study concludes that mobile apps could be a valuable and accepted tool in SCI home-based programs, while acknowledging limitations and suggesting future research directions.

Practical Implications

Improved Patient Engagement

Mobile apps like Fisiofriend can enhance patient engagement and motivation in home-based exercise programs through features like video instructions, real-time feedback, and game-like elements.

Enhanced Monitoring and Compliance

Clinicians can use mobile apps to monitor patient compliance with exercise programs and track their progress, which is particularly important given the high rate of non-adherence in home-based settings.

Personalized Exercise Programs

Mobile apps allow clinicians to tailor exercise parameters to individual patient needs and provide personalized feedback, leading to more effective and targeted rehabilitation interventions.

Study Limitations

1
The study was conducted on a small sample of male SCI patients.
2
Only exercises involving movement on the frontal or sagittal plane could be monitored through the accelerometer.
3
The exercise program was difficult for tetraplegic subjects to complete.

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