Abstract
Background and Purpose: This case report reviews the barriers to adherence to home exercise programs (HEPs) and the implementation of trackable technology as a potential solution to promote adherence. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of patients receiving HEPs from a physical therapist do not adhere to the program or perform exercises as prescribed due to a number of identified barriers. Case Description: The case patient was a 60-year-old, athletic female with a physical therapy diagnosis of right medial meniscus tear. She reported pain with physical activity limiting participation in recreational activities, such as yoga and horseback riding. Intervention: The Mywellness® app allows for seamless integration of the Technogym® Ecosystem of online platforms, allowing health professionals to add and update patient exercises through the use of the web-based portal and cloud technology. This grants patients timely guidance, advice, and motivation to perform their prescribed HEP. Furthermore, the app portal allows the health professional to monitor patient compliance to recommendations and prescribed exercise plans. Outcome: In a five-week episode of care, the case patient completed 7 out of 10 prescribed sessions of her HEP for an adherence rate of 70%. For each completed session (7), the patient demonstrated sufficient adherence of 71.4%, completing all of her prescribed exercises. Technical difficulties occurred during one out of seven sessions. Discussion: Demonstrated by the positive patient outcomes in this case report, trackable technologies such as the Mywellness® app may provide the support and accountability necessary to promote patient adherence to HEPs in an outpatient physical therapy setting. Future research is needed on a larger-scale to conclude if trackable technology produces a positive effect on levels of patient adherence when performing HEPs.