Evaluation of a Mobile Application for Pelvic Floor Exercises

Area of Science:

• Women's Health
• Digital Health
• Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Background:

• Pelvic floor exercises are crucial for managing urinary incontinence and improving muscle strength.
• Mobile applications are emerging as effective tools for patient education on these exercises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the understandability and actionability of the Bwom mobile application.
• To assess Bwom's potential for educating women on pelvic floor exercises tailored to individual risk factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an academic medical center.
• The Patient Education Material Assessment Tool (PEMAT) was used to score understandability and actionability.
• Participants (patients and providers) used the Bwom app for two weeks before completing the survey.

Main Results:

• 47 participants (25 patients, 22 providers) completed the study.
• The Bwom app achieved a mean understandability score of 93.8% and a mean actionability score of 91.7%.
• Most patients were aged 31-40, and 39% had no prior experience with pelvic floor exercises.

Conclusions:

• The Bwom app demonstrates significant promise for educating women on pelvic floor exercises.
• The application is user-friendly, understandable, and actionable, supporting its role in pelvic floor health.
• Further research is warranted to investigate Bwom's efficacy in reducing pelvic floor weakness and incontinence symptoms.