Individuals' perceptions and experiences of mHealth for home-based rehabilitation in knee osteoarthritis: A qualitative study.

Authors

Mathilde Pelletier Visa, Inès Monborne, Charlotte Lanhers, Sylvain Mathieu, Emmanuel Coudeyre

Published in

Osteoarthritis and cartilage open. Volume 8. Issue 3. Pages 100840. Epub Jun 15, 2026.

Abstract

Individuals with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rarely continue exercising after discharge from physiotherapy. We aimed to explore barriers and facilitators influencing the use of mHealth for home-based rehabilitation among people with KOA.
An inductive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted in a Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine outpatient department in France. Adults aged ≥40 years with physician-diagnosed KOA and prescribed rehabilitation were recruited. Interviews were performed face-to-face or by telephone, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach; two researchers independently coded transcripts and performed triangulation using NVivo software.
We included 26 participants (61.5% women; median [Q1; Q3] age 63.5 years [60.0; 73.5]). Median interview duration was 40 min 30 s [32min23; 48 min 15]. Five themes were identified: (1) Professional legitimisation as a prerequisite for mHealth adoption; (2) mHealth as a complement to physiotherapy; (3) Supported autonomy: balancing independence and human guidance; (4) Prior experience shapes perceptions but not expectations; (5) Usability, personalisation and perceived usefulness drive engagement. Participants generally had limited prior experience with mHealth. Engagement was influenced by low awareness, digital literacy challenges, and a need for supervision, but also by perceived potential benefits when tools were tailored and endorsed by healthcare professionally.
Individuals with KOA appeared cautiously receptive to mHealth despite limited prior experience. Adoption depends less on technology itself than on professional endorsement, usability, and integration within existing care pathways. mHealth may support home-based rehabilitation when implemented as part of a supervised and structured care model.

PMID:
42383282
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Jul 2026.

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