Prototype Application for the Treatment of Achilles Tendinopathy

Introduction<br/>Adequate treatment of Achilles tendinopathy (AT) consists of patient education, load management advice and calf muscle strengthening exercises. mHealth comprises the delivery of healthcare by mobile devices and is expected to be beneficial in the treatment of AT by including motivational features in the application, as well as providing features for adequate self-management. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop a prototype application for the combined treatment of AT.<br/>Methods<br/>To develop a user-centered prototype application, multiple steps were taken to develop the final prototype of this project. Exploratory literature and user research was done, after which patient scenarios were written and interviews with patients were conducted. This resulted in a set of requirements for the prototype application, which were processed in a patient journey, user flow diagram and flowchart. Wireframes were sketched and an interactive prototype was developed in Axure (Axure Software Solutions, Inc., San Diego, California). The interactive prototype was evaluated by patients and healthcare providers using structured interviews. Based on the results, a final interactive prototype was built.<br/>Results<br/>Literature research and patient interviews (n=3) resulted in a set of requirements. The patient journey, user flow diagram and flowchart, were useful to prioritize the requirements and to define the structure of the application. Wireframes of the application screens were sketched, which was helpful for the development of the interactive prototype in Axure. Interviews with patients (n=2) and healthcare providers (n=3), in which the interactive prototype was assessed, highlighted the positive expectations about the application, but highlighted also required improvements. With the given feedback, a final interactive prototype was developed.<br/>Conclusion<br/>The prototype application developed in this project is an important step towards a mHealth application for the delivery of the combined treatment of AT. In future research, it is needed to define decision trees with cut-off points to decide which personal advices are given at what moment and based on what data, to decide when progression to the next phase of exercise therapy is indicated, and to decide which information is provided to which patients.