Abstract
Nearly two-thirds of patients who receive a home exercise program (HEP) from a physical therapist are non-adherent.1 Non-adherence to medical recommendations has many consequences including need for repeated sessions of treatment and extended medical care,1 increasing medical costs and hindering final outcomes. Thus, it is necessary to find methods to improve patient adherence to medical recommendations. One method, is to implement the use of a mobile app. Physical Therapy InHand™ gives the patient access to their program and physical therapists the ability to monitor adherence and response to such programs.2 Approximately 90% of adults in the United States own a phone, with 58% of that population owning a smartphone.3 Applying the use of a phone may have a positive impact on a patient’s willingness to complete their prescribed exercises. For this case report, a 73-year-old female who is attended physical therapy for rehabilitation following a rotator cuff repair used InHand™ to access and track her (HEP). The purpose of this case report was to discuss whether the use of a mobile app would encourage a patient to better adhere to their HEP. The patient’s adherence and response to the HEP is tracked using the app and the patient’s outcomes (e.g., range of motion, strength, and modified DASH). The patient did not demonstrate a significant improvement in complete adherence to her HEP, but she did report satisfaction with the app and therapy outcomes. There were limitations present such as self-reporting, inconsistent tracking, and potential app limitations.