Tele-exercise mobile app for patients with facial paralysis: development and usability study.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Digital Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Facial nerve paralysis impacts intentional facial muscle movements due to seventh cranial nerve involvement.
• Physiotherapy, particularly exercise therapy, is crucial for restoring muscle function.
• Tele-exercise mobile applications offer a novel approach to managing this condition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a tele-exercise mobile application tailored for patients with facial paralysis.
• To enhance patient access to physiotherapy and exercise programs.
• To investigate the usability of a mobile application for facial nerve rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• The study employed a four-phase approach: content preparation, system requirements identification, app development, and usability evaluation.
• Exercises were identified from scientific literature, and application requirements were determined using the Delphi method with expert validation.
• The mobile application was developed for Android, featuring distinct interfaces for administrators, physiotherapists, and patients, and evaluated using heuristic usability principles.

Main Results:

• A total of 28 exercises were identified and categorized into 3 groups.
• Application requirements were defined (34 items) and classified into 6 categories.
• Usability evaluation indicated that the developed mobile application possesses a desirable level of usability for patients and clinicians.

Conclusions:

• Mobile applications provide convenient, anytime, anywhere access to exercise programs for patient rehabilitation.
• These applications facilitate seamless sharing of exercise progress between patients and physiotherapists.
• Utilizing tele-exercise apps can lead to reduced healthcare costs associated with patient recovery.