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Khaw XY1, Wong J1, Neoh EC1, Li KM1
1Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Physiotherapy, Singapore, Singapore
Background: Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a common surgical procedure. Good post-operative rehabilitation is essential for successful functional recovery. Patients in our institution have suboptimal exercise compliance and effectiveness during post-operative rehabilitation. Root cause analysis identified 'reduced feedback', 'reduced care continuity' and 'lack of engagement' to be key contributing factors. Yet, healthcare resource limitations necessitate innovation for care continuity and patient activation. Fun-Knee, an novel, app-based innovation was created. By 'game-ifying' rehabilitative exercises, Fun-Knee guides and tracks rehabilitation between hospital discharge to outpatient physiotherapy review.
Purpose: This feasibility study investigates healthy, older adults' experience and opinions of a prototype of Fun-Knee.
Methods: Community-dwelling adults aged above 50, without knee pain were recruited if they met inclusion criteria. Participants were introduced to two 'gamified' exercises within Fun-Knee with standardised instructions and completed round one of each game. Participants rated their experience with the hardware and software components of Fun-Knee, and their acceptance of Fun-Knee as a rehabilitation tool. Descriptive analysis of quantitative responses were analysed using Stata version 13.1 (College Station, TX: StataCorp LP).
Results: 24 participants (13 females), 58.5 ±5 years old were included. All participants had no knee pain. 70.83% had no history of physiotherapy management. 19 reported the use of mobile applications. Majority only used communication applications, with 5 participants using game applications on mobile devices. 30.44% rated themselves as feeling “comfortable” with using mobile applications on a 6 point Likert scale. 91.67% of participants rated that Fun-Knee is easy to put on, 95.83% felt the knee sleeve allowed comfortable and free movement, and 95.66% found it easy to recharge the battery of Fun-Knee. 66.67% found the software functions and interface on Fun-Knee easy to use. 25% of participants found the game difficult to learn, and 54.16% enjoyed playing both games on Fun-Knee. 62.51% responded positively in terms of willingness to use Fun-Knee for knee rehabilitation exercises. 66.66% of participants expressed preference for innovative applications over conventional exercise brochures for rehabilitation.
Conclusion(s): Majority of participants responded favourably to the hardware design of Fun-Knee and found the software functions and interfaces easy to use. In terms of how easily the games could be learnt, a significant proportion of participants responded neutrally or negatively. This may be promising, given that participants would have less instruction time than what would be available for TKA patients during hospital stay. As expected, responses on game enjoyability varied most. While only a small minority (8.33%) found the games unenjoyable, remaining participants' responses were neutral or positive. Despite this, there was high acceptance towards Fun-knee as an alternative to conventional exercise brochures.
Implications: This pilot study helps us understand how healthy, Asian older adults perceive the use of novel innovative applications like Fun-Knee. Overall response to hardware and software features of Fun-Knee was favourable. Further analysis of participants' qualitative feedback would be valuable for prototype refinement of Fun-Knee, before our upcoming clinical study with TKA patients.
Keywords: technology, rehabilitation, exercise
Funding acknowledgements: Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme Grant
Purpose: This feasibility study investigates healthy, older adults' experience and opinions of a prototype of Fun-Knee.
Methods: Community-dwelling adults aged above 50, without knee pain were recruited if they met inclusion criteria. Participants were introduced to two 'gamified' exercises within Fun-Knee with standardised instructions and completed round one of each game. Participants rated their experience with the hardware and software components of Fun-Knee, and their acceptance of Fun-Knee as a rehabilitation tool. Descriptive analysis of quantitative responses were analysed using Stata version 13.1 (College Station, TX: StataCorp LP).
Results: 24 participants (13 females), 58.5 ±5 years old were included. All participants had no knee pain. 70.83% had no history of physiotherapy management. 19 reported the use of mobile applications. Majority only used communication applications, with 5 participants using game applications on mobile devices. 30.44% rated themselves as feeling “comfortable” with using mobile applications on a 6 point Likert scale. 91.67% of participants rated that Fun-Knee is easy to put on, 95.83% felt the knee sleeve allowed comfortable and free movement, and 95.66% found it easy to recharge the battery of Fun-Knee. 66.67% found the software functions and interface on Fun-Knee easy to use. 25% of participants found the game difficult to learn, and 54.16% enjoyed playing both games on Fun-Knee. 62.51% responded positively in terms of willingness to use Fun-Knee for knee rehabilitation exercises. 66.66% of participants expressed preference for innovative applications over conventional exercise brochures for rehabilitation.
Conclusion(s): Majority of participants responded favourably to the hardware design of Fun-Knee and found the software functions and interfaces easy to use. In terms of how easily the games could be learnt, a significant proportion of participants responded neutrally or negatively. This may be promising, given that participants would have less instruction time than what would be available for TKA patients during hospital stay. As expected, responses on game enjoyability varied most. While only a small minority (8.33%) found the games unenjoyable, remaining participants' responses were neutral or positive. Despite this, there was high acceptance towards Fun-knee as an alternative to conventional exercise brochures.
Implications: This pilot study helps us understand how healthy, Asian older adults perceive the use of novel innovative applications like Fun-Knee. Overall response to hardware and software features of Fun-Knee was favourable. Further analysis of participants' qualitative feedback would be valuable for prototype refinement of Fun-Knee, before our upcoming clinical study with TKA patients.
Keywords: technology, rehabilitation, exercise
Funding acknowledgements: Ng Teng Fong Healthcare Innovation Programme Grant
Topic: Robotics & technology; Orthopaedics; Musculoskeletal: lower limb
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: National Healthcare Group, Singapore
Ethics committee: Domain Specific Research Board
Ethics number: 2017/01008
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
