Formative Evaluation of a Mobile Application Facilitated Self-directed Rehabilitation Programme for Knee Osteoarthritis

Sponsor
Singapore General Hospital
Study ID
NCT07773480
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
45 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Self-directed rehabiliation using the mobile application — DEVICE
    Participants will be instructed on the installation and use of the mobile application on their personal mobile phones during their first outpatient physiotherapy session. Participants will then have to perform the assigned tasks using the mobile application for 12 weeks

Study Details

In Singapore, knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition, reflecting global trends of an aging population and lifestyle factors. With Singapore's rapidly aging population and the rising prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles, knee OA has become increasingly common. According to recent studies, symptomatic OA of the knee affects around one-fifth (\~300K) of Singaporeans aged 50 years or older. Individuals with advanced knee OA and severe disability often require a total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. While knee replacement surgery is an effective option for severe knee OA, it is costly and there are risks of complications, and should only be considered when all appropriate non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted. Existing research suggests at least a quarter of knee replacements could have been avoided through more optimal conservative treatments. Despite established healthcare systems and treatment pathways, studies in several settings report that the majority of patients with OA do not receive appropriate and optimal medical care. In Singapore, several factors such as cost, extended wait times, cultural factors and travel inconvenience pose barriers to accessing physiotherapy services. These factors hinder patients' ability to access care resulting in suboptimal care, poor outcomes, and needless economic burden. Thus, there is a large unmet need for innovative and flexible strategies to deliver effective conservative management and treatment for knee OA widely and at a relatively low cost. Solutions that empower individuals and allow for self-directed rehabilitation without the need for real-time human supervision could be the key to improve effectiveness, accessibility and reduce the reliance on healthcare manpower. Given the prevalence of mobile phone, mobile applications offer a promising avenue for delivering self-directed rehabilitation programs to adults with knee OA. Previous self-directed rehabilitation programs for patients with knee OA have shown promise, however, the adoption and adherence to these programmes remain low, particularly among older adults who may not be technologically savvy. Developing an application that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of older adults with knee osteoarthritis is crucial to improve engagement and long-term adherence to the programme. The investigators have previously developed a technology-enabled self-directed rehabilitation program for patients who have undergone TKR for primary knee OA. Subsequently, Managing Osteoarthritis of the knee using Therapist-Technology Optimized Rehabilitation (MO-knee-TOR) - a standalone mobile app to facilitate self-directed rehabilitation and complement a "blended" care approach involving an initial face-to-face session with the physiotherapist was developed. MO-knee-TOR was developed for patients with TKR and subsequently evaluated in 2 pilot randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In one of the RCTs, it was found that self-directed rehabilitation post TKR facilitated using the mobile application improved exercise adherence without compromising safety and clinical outcomes. In this current proposal, MO-knee-TOR is adapted for conservative knee OA management through a single-arm pre-post feasibility study with a nested qualitative component.

Key Dates

First listed
Aug 19, 2026
Start date
Aug 1, 2026
Status verified
May 2026
Primary completion
Jun 1, 2027
Completion
Dec 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DEVICE_FEASIBILITY

Arms

  • Experimental: Self-directed rehabilitation using the mobile application
    Participants will be instructed on the installation and use of the mobile application on their personal mobile phones. Participants will then have to perform the assigned tasks using the mobile application for 12 weeks

Primary Outcome Measure

Feasibility [ Time Frame: 12 weeks after using the mobile application ]

Central Contacts

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