Ease of Use and Usefulness of a Newly Developed Mobile App to Monitor Pain and Adherence Among Individuals With an Achilles Tendinopathy Engaged in a Rehabilitation Program

Abstract

Objective: Assess the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of a newly developed mobile app. Design: Descriptive survey study. Setting: Home-based rehabilitation program. Participants: A group of 31 adults with a symptomatic Achilles tendinopathy. Intervention: A mobile app was developed to support the deployment of the 12-week active exercise-based rehabilitation program and facilitate the monitoring of exercise adherence twice daily and the assessment of localized Achilles tendon pain using a numeric pain rating scale on a weekly basis. Main Outcome Measures: Results of an online survey encompassing 10 questions, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = strongly agree; 1 = strongly disagree). Results: Nearly all participants agreed that the mobile app was easy to install (96.4%) and easy to use (100%). Most participants confirmed that no technical issues were encountered (96.4%). The instructional videos were deemed helpful in properly performing the recommended exercises (85.7%), whereas the prompts sent via text message were found to promote adherence (88.9%). The design and appearance of the mobile app were appreciated by a lower percentage of participants (75%). Conclusion: Participants confirmed the ease of use and usefulness of the newly developed mobile app and demonstrated a positive attitude toward its use.