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Usefulness of a hand therapy application.
Kristin Valdes1, Nancy Naughton2, Lori Algar3
1Occupational Therapy Department, Touro University, Henderson, NV, USA.
Summary
A new hand therapy app shows promise as a tool for patient education and home exercises. This study found the app to be above average for providing condition information and home exercise program instruction.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Digital Health
Background:
- Home exercise programs (HEP) are crucial for hand therapy rehabilitation.
- Patient engagement and understanding are key to successful rehabilitation.
- Mobile applications offer potential for enhancing patient education and adherence to HEPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of a dedicated hand therapy application for patient education and home exercise instruction.
- To assess the effectiveness of a smartphone app in supporting patients with orthopedic injuries distal to the shoulder undergoing hand therapy.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional cohort study design was employed.
- Forty-one participants from an outpatient hand therapy clinic were surveyed.
- The Hand Therapy Application was assessed using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) questionnaire.
Main Results:
- The hand therapy app achieved an overall MARS score of 3.5 out of 5.
- Mean scores for engagement, functionality, and aesthetics were 3.6, 3.8, and 3.7, respectively.
- Participants rated the app as above average for providing information on their condition and for home exercise program instruction.
Conclusions:
- The Hand Therapy Application is a potentially valuable tool for clinical practice.
- The app demonstrates effectiveness in educating patients and guiding home exercise programs.
- Consideration of this app as a HEP tool is recommended for hand therapy settings.
