Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Feb 12, 2025
Date Accepted: Feb 9, 2026
Telemedicine Application for Non-Rigid Facial Rehabilitation Training Enhanced by EffiFCNN-ResNet to Improve Accessibility for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cancer Patients：A Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Resource limitations in public hospitals may hinder the timely monitoring and management of rehabilitation in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following radiotherapy.
Objective:
This study developed and evaluated the telemedicine application "Open Care," which integrates the EffiFCNN-ResNet model and computer vision to monitor and provide real-time feedback on facial training exercises, aiming to improve outcomes for patients with restricted mouth opening.
Methods:
A parallel-group, two-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted with 108 patients, randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 54) or the control group (n = 54).The intervention group performed mouth-opening exercises under the supervision and guidance of the telemedicine application, while the control group followed traditional video-based instructions.Primary outcome measures included maximum mouth opening, mouth opening symmetry, exercise frequency, and rehabilitation-related health beliefs. Secondary outcomes included fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), health-related quality of life (AQoL-6D), and system usability (SUS). Data were analyzed using T-tests, chi-square tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Results:
Results showed significant improvements in the intervention group in maximum mouth opening, exercise frequency, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and action cues (p < 0.05). The system demonstrated 98.2% accuracy in assessing facial training exercises. Participants also reported favorable training experiences.
Conclusions:
This telemedicine approach was more effective than traditional methods, improving patient engagement and rehabilitation outcomes, while providing a more objective and precise monitoring tool. Future applications may benefit NPC and other head and neck cancer patients. Clinical Trial: Clinical trial registration:ChiCTR2400090305 Ethical approval:2404294-Exp8
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