Physical Therapist Engagement With a Home Exercise Prescription Platform: A Mixed Methods Study.

Abstract

To evaluate if and how physical therapists use the typical features provided by Medbridge's home exercise program (HEP) platform and to identify factors that affect its use. We employed a convergent parallel mixed-method design consisting of quantitative online survey data, user data provided by Medbridge, and qualitative semistructured interview data. The survey examined clinical experience, physical therapists' knowledge, use, and confidence with using Medbridge's HEP platform and their perception about its usability. The data provided by Medbridge included (1) methods physical therapists use to provide patients with their HEP; (2) patient engagement with HEP. The qualitative data further examined factors impacting the use of Medbridge's HEP platform. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed via thematic analysis. Data were integrated for a deeper understanding. Outpatient physical therapy. Licensed physical therapists (N=19) who work in a health care system that spans the southeast region of the United States. Not applicable. (1) Use of Medbridge's HEP platform features; and (2) Factors that impact it's use. Nearly all (94.7%) prescribed HEPs via Medbridge's HEP platform and printed their patients' HEP. Major barriers to using Medbridge's HEP platform included a lack of knowledge about the features, the features' efficiency, perceived patient engagement, comprehensiveness, and individualization. Medbridge's HEP platform features are underused which may decrease patients' engagement and HEP completion. Technological advancements that focus on efficiency, comprehensiveness, and individualization could increase physical therapists' utilization and patient engagement.