Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Mar 24, 2021
Date Accepted: Oct 12, 2021
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Patient-facing Mobile Applications to Support Physiotherapy Care: Protocol for a Systematic Review of Apps
ABSTRACT
Background:
Care delivered by physiotherapists aims to facilitate positive health behaviors by patients (e.g. adherence to exercise). However, research suggests that behavioral interventions are frequently omitted from care. Hence, better understanding of strategies that can be used by physiotherapists to support patients to engage in positive behaviors are important and likely to optimise outcomes. Digital health interventions delivered via mobile applications (apps) are garnering attention for their ability to support behavior change. They have the potential to incorporate numerous behavior change techniques to support goals of physiotherapy care; including (but not limited to): self-monitoring, goal setting, and prompts/alerts. Despite their potential to support physiotherapy care, much is still unknown about what apps are available, the behavior change techniques they use, their quality, and their potential to change behaviors.
Objective:
The primary aim of this systematic review is to describe what mobile apps intended for use by patients are available to support physiotherapy care, including the behavior change techniques within these apps. The secondary aims are to evaluate the quality and behavior change potential of these apps.
Methods:
A systematic review of apps in app stores will be undertaken. This will follow recommendations for reviews in line with the PRISMA statement, which has been adapted to suit our app store search. Apple Store and Google Play will be searched with a two-step search strategy, using terms relevant to physiotherapy, physiotherapists, and common physiotherapy care. Key eligibility will be that apps are intended for use by patients, and are self-contained or, stand-alone without the need of additional wearable devices or other add-ons. Included apps will be coded for behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and rated for quality using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and potential to change behavior using the App Behavior Change Scale (ABACUS).
Results:
The protocol is registered to PROSPERO. App screening and inclusion has started, and data extraction is expected to commence by March, 2021.
Conclusions:
Knowledge gained from this review will support clinical practice, as well as informing research, by providing a greater understanding about the quality of currently available mobile apps and their potential to support patient behaviour change goals of physiotherapy care.
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