Development of an Evidence-Based Progressive Web App to Promote Exercise Therapy and Telemonitoring for Individuals with Patello-Femoral Pain Syndrome: A Usability Study

Abstract

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps play an emerging role in managing chronic conditions. This study aimed to design, develop, and evaluate the usability of an exercise therapy mHealth app in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Objectives: This paper presents the design, development, and evaluation procedures of the conceptual mHelath app, called Vitoapp, using the progressive web application (PWA) approach. Methods: A mixed-method approach using both qualitative interviews (n = 8 adults with PFPS) and quantitative usability evaluations (n = 30, including 15 adults with PFPS and 15 physical therapists as experts) was adopted. Results: The results showed high levels of system usability (75.1 out of 100) and the mHealth App usability (127.2/147). Conclusions: This study can contribute to the design and development of the physical therapy mHealth app to provide evidence-based therapeutic exercise and remotely monitor adults with chronic pain conditions, including PFPS.