Patients' Expectations for App-Based Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis: User-Centered Design Approach.
Pika Krištof Mirt, Karmen Erjavec, Sabina Krsnik and 2 others
PMID 40373216WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with knee osteoarthritis valued exercise videos, goal setting, and physiotherapist contact most.
Higher motivation predicted wanting detailed disease info and longer sessions. Men rated app ease of use higher than women. Barriers included unclear instructions and inaccurate information.
Key findings
01Exercise videos were the highest-rated feature (mean 9.45/10), followed by goal setting (8.95/10) and e-messages (8.83/10).
02Patients with higher motivation significantly valued key disease information and exercise videos more than those with lower motivation.
03Men rated ease of use, clarity of information, and navigation significantly higher than women on a 1-5 scale.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (82 participants) and recruited from a single orthopedic clinic in Slovenia, limiting generalizability. Only two participants were under 40 years old, making age-related findings for this group unreliable. Data were self-reported and cross-sectional, so they reflect preferences at one point in time rather than long-term adherence or outcomes. The study did not test an actual app intervention, so it cannot confirm if these preferences translate to improved clinical results. Exclusion of patients with cognitive impairment, wheelchair dependency, or limited digital skills means the findings may not apply to more complex or disadvantaged populations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted in Slovenia, a context noted for limited physiotherapy access, which may influence patient expectations toward digital solutions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that app-based therapy improves pain or function in knee osteoarthritis. This study reports patient preferences and expectations for app design, not clinical outcomes from a tested intervention.