Application role

The role of physical therapy mobile applications in exercises ============================================== The role of mobile applications in improving the process of physiotherapy treatment and increasing the participation of patients in the digital age and with extensive advances in technology, smart phones and mobile applications have become one of the key tools in improving the quality of human life. These practical tools have found an important and vital role not only in the field of entertainment or communication, but also in more specialized fields such as health and medicine. One of the branches of medicine where the use of mobile applications has grown significantly is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy mobile applications have been able to create a significant change in the treatment process of patients and increase their participation in the recovery process by providing targeted and user-oriented services. One of the prominent features of these applications is the possibility of designing completely personalized training programs for each person. This feature allows exercises to be planned considering the needs, physical conditions, and treatment stage of the patient. For example, a patient suffering from joint problems will receive different exercises than someone recovering from knee surgery. This level of personalization gives patients the confidence that exercises are designed exactly to their physical condition and will be more effective. In addition, one of the common challenges in the physiotherapy process is the patients' non-continuity in performing prescribed exercises at home. After leaving the clinic, many patients forget their exercises or ignore them due to their daily busyness. This is where physical therapy mobile apps come in, encouraging patients to keep up with their workouts by sending daily reminders or smart notifications. These digital reminders not only help form a regular routine, but also have a positive effect on patients' motivation and commitment. Another important advantage of physiotherapy mobile applications is the possibility of direct communication between the patient and the physiotherapist. Through chat platforms, video calls or even sending and receiving exercise files, the patient can ask questions or get feedback about his physical condition. This continuous communication reduces errors in exercises, increases the patient's confidence that the movements are correct and, as a result, accelerates the treatment process. Finally, it can be said that physiotherapy mobile applications using today's technology have been able to provide a powerful tool to patients and professionals. These tools have not only made the treatment process smarter, more effective and more regular, but also made patients play a more active role in their treatment, which is one of the main keys to success in physiotherapy. Advantages of using physiotherapy mobile applications - **Increasing patients' adherence to treatment plans** One of the biggest challenges faced by physiotherapists in the course of treatment is patients' non-compliance with exercise programs at home. Many patients, especially after leaving face-to-face sessions, lose the motivation and discipline necessary to perform the prescribed exercises. This issue not only slows down the healing process, but can also lead to the return or exacerbation of physical problems. Physiotherapy mobile applications play an effective role in solving this problem by creating a simple and user-friendly platform. In particular, apps like WIApp are smartly designed to send daily reminders to patients. These notifications help patients not to forget their exercises and follow the physical therapy activities regularly according to the set schedule. Another important feature of these applications is showing training videos and providing detailed explanations for each movement. By watching these tutorials, patients can perform the movements correctly and with minimal errors. On the other hand, the ability to track progress also allows the patient to clearly see the results of his efforts, and this increases his motivation to continue training. In general, physical therapy mobile applications play a decisive role in the adherence of patients to treatment through intelligent regulation of exercises, visual training and motivation. This issue has made the use of these tools one of the most effective ways to increase patients' participation in the treatment process. - **Personalization of treatment programs** Physiotherapy is a completely individualized process and the same prescription cannot be applied to all patients. Each person has their own physical condition, level of injury, age, medical history and treatment goals. In such a situation, providing a public and impersonal program will not only be ineffective, but in some cases may lead to more harm. This is where the role of physical therapy mobile applications becomes prominent. Modern applications have the ability to provide a personalized exercise program based on the patient's basic data - such as the type of injury, location of pain, level of mobility and even lifestyle. These exercises are usually adjusted by a physiotherapist or supervised by artificial intelligence and are designed exactly according to the needs of the individual. For example, for a patient who has undergone knee replacement surgery, the app can provide a series of light to moderate exercises with step-by-step videos to gradually regain range of motion. Besides that, reports of the patient's daily performance are recorded and it is even possible to get feedback from the physiotherapist. Personalization in applications not only increases the accuracy of treatment, but also makes the patient feel that the program is designed exactly for him, and this positively affects his commitment to doing exercises. In short, the personalization of exercises through applications has created a significant evolution in non-attendance physiotherapy treatment and has entered this field into a new phase. - **Increasing motivation through gamification** One of the effective tools in maintaining patients' interest and motivation to perform physical therapy exercises is the use of gamification concepts in application design. This concept, taken from the world of video games, means the application of fun and competitive elements in non-game environments such as education and therapy. Using this approach, physiotherapy mobile applications have been able to turn the dry and repetitive atmosphere of therapeutic exercises into a dynamic and attractive experience. Among the gaming elements, we can mention the scoring system, badges, ranking table, virtual rewards and progress tracking. Suppose the patient earns points every day by doing his exercises and after reaching a certain level, he receives a small reward; This approach increases his internal and external motivation significantly. In addition, some applications allow competition or cooperation with other users. These social spaces create a sense of belonging and more interaction with the treatment process, and patients are motivated to exercise more regularly by seeing the progress of others. In general, gamification in physiotherapy mobile applications not only adds to the attractiveness and dynamism of the applications, but also helps patients in a psychologically effective way to reduce the feeling of fatigue or boredom and continue their treatment path with high motivation. - Easy access to educational resources One of the key components in the success of the physiotherapy process is the patient's awareness of the correct way to perform exercises, why each movement and its effects on improving physical performance. In the past, many patients would forget a large part of the educational information after leaving the face-to-face sessions or would be hesitant to perform the movements correctly. But physiotherapy mobile applications have solved this problem well by providing comprehensive and accessible educational resources. Applications such as MedBridge GO are a great example of this type of service. By providing high-quality videos, step-by-step written instructions, and clear images, these apps allow users to review each exercise repeatedly and perform it with confidence. Also, some apps allow patients to record videos of their exercises and send them to the physical therapist for review and feedback. Along with these facilities, the existence of an online library of different exercises for different types of injuries, diseases and different levels of difficulty is considered a great advantage. Patients can choose the necessary training according to their needs and get the scientific and practical information they need without depending on physical presence. As a result, physical therapy mobile applications have not only facilitated patients' access to information, but by improving their awareness, they have reduced the possibility of errors in the implementation of exercises and significantly increased the effectiveness of treatment. Challenges and considerations of using physiotherapy mobile applications Although physical therapy mobile applications have been able to bring significant benefits to patients and health professionals, the challenges and limitations of this emerging technology should not be neglected. Every innovation, along with its benefits, requires careful consideration of operational, cultural and technical considerations so that it can be used effectively and safely in the treatment process. In this section, we mention three of the most important challenges facing the use of physical therapy mobile applications: 1. **need for basic training for users** Many patients, especially the elderly or those with limited familiarity with digital technologies, may find it confusing to use physical therapy mobile apps. For this group of people, even downloading, installing and setting up a simple program can become a big challenge. In addition, understanding the structure of the user interface, correctly performing exercises through videos, or sending feedback through the app requires a level of basic digital knowledge that not all patients have. به همین دلیل، ارائه آموزش‌های اولیه ساده و قابل‌فهم از سوی کلینیک‌ها و فیزیوتراپیست‌ها ضروری است. It is better to provide these trainings in the form of videos, along with step-by-step instructions, so that they can use the application more confidently. Also, designing an easy and minimal user interface for applications can facilitate access and understanding of the application's functionality for all users. 2. **The application is not a complete substitute for face-to-face therapy** Another thing that should be carefully considered is that no application can completely replace a physiotherapist. Accurate assessment of musculoskeletal problems, checking body posture, correcting wrong movements and providing expert feedback all require the presence of a trained physiotherapist. The apps serve more as complementary tools so that patients can continue their exercises at home, rather than obviating the need for therapy sessions. Smart use of apps means patients can follow home exercises guided by technology, but still under the supervision of a physical therapist. This hybrid approach increases the effectiveness of treatment and prevents possible errors in exercises. 3. **Preservation of privacy and security of patient data** One of the serious and significant concerns in the use of health applications is the issue of information security and user privacy. Physiotherapy mobile applications often store and process sensitive information, including medical profiles, treatment records, and physiological data of users. If this information is not protected without adequate monitoring, it can lead to data leakage, information misuse or even violation of patient privacy. To solve this problem, application developers must comply with international medical data protection standards such as HIPAA or GDPR. Also, the use of data encryption, multi-step authentication, and providing clear policies about the collection and use of information can help increase patients' trust in these tools. **Summary Finally, although physical therapy mobile applications are very useful and effective tools, their successful use requires a thorough understanding of the challenges and taking necessary measures to address them. Educating patients, maintaining interaction with physiotherapists, and ensuring information security are the three main pillars for safe and effective use of these technologies. By managing these considerations, it is possible to take advantage of the high capacities of therapeutic applications to improve the quality of physiotherapy care in a sustainable and intelligent manner.