DigiOA
Digital Osteoarthritis treatment
Project Manager
PhD fellow
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Information and training are recommended treatment for patients with osteoarthritis. In the project "Digital osteoarthritis treatment", we want to examine, through a randomized controlled study, whether following an individually adapted exercise program on a mobile app is as effective as regular follow-up with a physiotherapist.
A mobile solution can help to increase the availability of treatment, as the treatment can be given regardless of geographical distance. Mobile solutions also give patients greater freedom of choice, as they can, for example, exercise whenever they want throughout the day, and are not bound by a time to attend a therapist. The hope is that the increased access and freedom of choice through the app leads to better compliance with recommended training.
Part of the project is also to find characteristics of the patients who have the greatest effect from using the app. In this way, physiotherapists will more easily identify which patients who manage the training through an app, and who have a greater need for physical follow-up with a therapist.
WHO CAN JOIN?
Patients over the age of 18 with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee, who seek treatment at one of the participating physiotherapy institutes, can take part in the study. For an overview of which institutes are participating, contact the PhD candidate.
Recruitment of participants for the study is ongoing.
WHAT DOES THE STUDY INCLUDE?
All patients receive 1-2 hours of teaching about osteoarthritis from a physiotherapist, with information on symptoms, disease progression, exercise, self-help techniques and dietary advice. After teaching, you are randomly assigned to either standard treatment, with follow-up twice a week for 6 weeks with a physiotherapist, or an app group, which receives an individually adapted 6-week training program on the VirtuellTrening app. The patients are tested with a physiotherapist at the start and at the end of the 6-week follow-up. At the start, end and 12 weeks after the end, the patients also answer a questionnaire which contains questions about pain, function, disease activity, physical activity, quality of life, compliance with exercise and health service and medicine consumption.