Richardson J1, Letts L1, Sinclair S1, Wojkowski S1, Donnelly C2
1McMaster University, School of Rehabilitation Science, Hamilton, Canada, 2Queens University, Occupational Therapy, Kingston, Canada
Background: The global rise in chronic diseases and aging is associated with increased disability. The goal of self-management (SM) is to empower patients to actively manage their health issues. A call for greater involvement of rehabilitation professionals in chronic disease SM has not resulted in consensus about the common elements, principles and approaches for the integration of rehabilitation into SM service delivery.
Purpose: To identify the priority rehabilitation strategies and content areas for a rehabilitation SM intervention to address needs of people with chronic diseases. (Phase 1) To describe the development usability testing of web-based apps.(Phase 2)
Methods:
Phase 1: Local and national rehabilitation experts participated in web-enabled consensus forum to generate major strategies, concepts and principles to be included in the SM modules to form the Apps. Three case scenarios were used to generate responses. Online consensus forums were held with physiotherapists (PTs) who were experts in management of chronic conditions and a separate forum with occupational therapists; overlapping and discipline-specific issues were then identified.
Phase 2: Web based apps were developed and iterative usability testing conducted with patients and therapists.
Results: SM issues and strategies that were identified by both professions included fall prevention, goal setting, self-monitoring, and using behavioural strategies. Strategies unique to physiotherapy included Exercise training; increasing physical activity and pain management. Apps designed for self-directed monitoring and action planning were developed.
Conclusion(s): Physiotherapists have unique contributions to make to chronic disease self-management that can be delivered using technology. Some strategies resonate beyond rehabilitation, drawing on underlying principles of self-management.
Implications: This project established the priority strategies for Rehabilitation Self-Management and shows how technology specifically web based Apps can be developed and used to deliver these strategies to persons with chronic conditions.
Keywords: Chronic Disease management, technology, consensus forum
Funding acknowledgements: Health Research Foundation
Purpose: To identify the priority rehabilitation strategies and content areas for a rehabilitation SM intervention to address needs of people with chronic diseases. (Phase 1) To describe the development usability testing of web-based apps.(Phase 2)
Methods:
Phase 1: Local and national rehabilitation experts participated in web-enabled consensus forum to generate major strategies, concepts and principles to be included in the SM modules to form the Apps. Three case scenarios were used to generate responses. Online consensus forums were held with physiotherapists (PTs) who were experts in management of chronic conditions and a separate forum with occupational therapists; overlapping and discipline-specific issues were then identified.
Phase 2: Web based apps were developed and iterative usability testing conducted with patients and therapists.
Results: SM issues and strategies that were identified by both professions included fall prevention, goal setting, self-monitoring, and using behavioural strategies. Strategies unique to physiotherapy included Exercise training; increasing physical activity and pain management. Apps designed for self-directed monitoring and action planning were developed.
Conclusion(s): Physiotherapists have unique contributions to make to chronic disease self-management that can be delivered using technology. Some strategies resonate beyond rehabilitation, drawing on underlying principles of self-management.
Implications: This project established the priority strategies for Rehabilitation Self-Management and shows how technology specifically web based Apps can be developed and used to deliver these strategies to persons with chronic conditions.
Keywords: Chronic Disease management, technology, consensus forum
Funding acknowledgements: Health Research Foundation
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: McMaster University
Ethics committee: Hamilton Institution Research Ethics Board
Ethics number: HIREB Project # 13-374
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
