A hand exercise mobile app for people with rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey: design, development and usability study

Abstract

Objectives: To design and develop a smartphone application for a structured hand exercise programme for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Turkey and to test its usability. Methods: We followed a two-stage process: 1) Design & Development and 2) Usability testing. In stage 1, we used a qualitative user-centered design approach. We conducted a focus group (8 therapists and people with RA) to discuss the content, features and design to produce a prototype of the application. In a second focus group session, the participants tested the prototype, provided feedback and further revisions were made. In stage 2, 17 participants with RA used the app for 4 to 6 weeks. The System Usability Scale and the adapted Usability, Satisfaction and Ease to Use questionnaires were used to measure usability, ease of use. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore user experiences with the application with 17 participants. Results: In stage 1, The following themes were identified from the focus groups (a) login techniques (b) self-monitoring (c) exercises, (d) exercise diary, (e) information, (f)

Development of an Evidence-Based Progressive Web App to Promote Exercise Therapy and Telemonitoring for Individuals with Patello-Femoral Pain Syndrome: A Usability Study

“…Considering the quantitative data, the app was useful and satisfactory via the evidence-based exercise pro- Parkinson's disease (19), and the present study focused on musculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain (34), Frozen shoulder (22), and RA (35). However, to date, there is no exercise app developed for individuals with PFPS.…”

Feasibility, Usability, and Safety of ParaGym, an Intelligent Mobile Exercise App for Individuals With Paraplegia: Protocol for a Pilot Block-Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Following baseline measures, the intervention group will receive an introduction to the downloading process and a demonstration of the app [ 28 , 36 - 39 ]. They will also be provided with a user’s manual and 2 resistance bands with a resistance of their choice (TheraBand, The Hygenic Corporation), one of which is for backup.…”

“…Six weeks after commencing the intervention, semistructured interviews will be conducted via phone to investigate feasibility and usability. An interview guide was conceptualized based on interview domains and topics in similar studies [ 27 , 36 , 39 - 43 ]. The following topics will be addressed: (1) overall experience, (2) ease of use, (3) app functionality, (4) perceived safety, (5) technical functionality, (6) communication, (7) perceived effects and usefulness, (8) adherence and motivation, and (9) recommendation.…”

“…The SUS [ 44 ] is a 10-item Likert scale ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”) and is a common tool for investigating the usability of health-related mobile apps [ 27 , 36 , 38 , 39 , 41 - 43 , 45 , 46 ]. The score will be converted according to Brooke [ 44 ], so the total score will range from 0 to 100.…”

The Review of Usability Evaluation Methods on Tele health or Telemedicine Systems

“…The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines Usability as "the extent to which specific users use a method, product, or service to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a particular field of use" [11,12]. Usability standards were developed by ISO 9241-11 [13,14].…”