AB1418-HPR MOBILE-PHONE-BASED HOME EXERCISE TRAINING PROGRAM IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Abstract

Background: Most rehabilitation programs are hospital‐based and rely on regular supervision (1). However, mobile health technologies such as smartphone applications may provide lower‐cost ways to monitor and train the patients (2). We have developed a mobile‐phone application for monitoring and training the patients at home. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare a mobile‐phone‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program to a brochure‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program in patients with knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that the patients who received mobile‐phone‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program over 3 weeks would have better balance, quality of life and less pain and disability score versus the patients who received brochure‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program. Methods: This was a randomized, prospective, comparative clinical study. The study included 40 patients, aged 4565 years, who diagnosed with a grade 2‐3 knee osteoarthritis. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. While one group (n=20) received a mobile‐phone‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program, the second group (n=20) received a brochure‐based home exercise training program along with supervised physiotherapy program as 15 sessions for a total of three weeks, five sessions per week. Pain intensity, balance, disability, and quality of life were measured with Visual Analogue Scale, Berg Balance Scale, WOMAC, and SF‐36, respectively. All of the assessments procedures were performed again after the treatment. Results: There were statistically significant improvements in measures of pain intensity, balance, disability, and quality of life between pre‐and post treatment in both groups (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were found in any of patient outcome variables between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: We could report that mobile‐phone‐based home exercise training program is not superior to brochure‐based home exercise training program in terms of patient outcomes over 3‐week program.