Smartphone Apps to Support Falls Rehabilitation Exercise: App Development and Usability and Acceptability Study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Rehabilitation
• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Falls pose significant health risks for older adults.
• Strength and balance exercises are effective in reducing fall risk.
• Patient adherence to unsupervised home exercise programs is often suboptimal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop co-designed motivational smartphone applications for older adults to support adherence to fall reduction exercises.
• To evaluate the usability and acceptability of these applications among older adults and healthcare professionals.

Main Methods:

• A 3-phase development process: analysis (literature review, consultations), design (prototyping, co-design workshops), and implementation (pilot testing).
• Participatory evaluation methods including testing, semistructured interviews, and focus groups.
• Qualitative data analysis using the framework approach.

Main Results:

• Behavior Change Techniques like goal setting and feedback were integrated into the apps ('My Activity Programme' for patients, 'Motivate Me' for professionals).
• App design was iteratively refined based on feedback from health professionals and older adults.
• Pilot testing indicated acceptability and identified themes of phone usability and user confidence.

Conclusions:

• Co-designed motivational smartphone apps are acceptable to older adults and healthcare professionals for supporting fall prevention exercise.
• User-led design is crucial for ensuring the usability and acceptability of digital health tools in clinical settings.