Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HETSL | HES-SO), Lausanne, Switzerland.
LBMC, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, Gustave Eiffel University, Bron, France.
JMIR Hum Factors. 2024 Nov 7;11:e59897. doi: 10.2196/59897.
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major economic and social problem worldwide. Despite the variety of recommended treatments, long-term self-management of this condition is complex and requires the development of innovative interventions. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies hold great promise for the management of chronic pain, particularly to support physical activity. However, their implementation is challenged by a lack of user compliance and limited engagement, which may be due to insufficient consideration of the needs of potential users during development.
This study aims to explore the needs of people with CLBP and health care professionals regarding mHealth technologies to support self-managed physical activity, and to delineate design recommendations based on identified needs.
A participatory study was conducted using a 3-phase, user-centered design approach: needs investigation with a group of experts in a workshop (phase 1), needs exploration with end users in focus groups (phase 2), and validation of needs using Delphi questionnaires followed by the development of a set of recommendations (phase 3).
A total of 121 people with CLBP, expert patients, health care professionals, rehabilitation researchers, and biomechanical engineers participated in this study. The results indicated how technology could help people with CLBP overcome their difficulties with managing physical activity. Specific needs were formulated concerning device objectives, expected strategies, functionalities, technical features, conditions of use, and potential facilitators and barriers to use. These needs were validated by consensus from the potential end users and translated into design recommendations.
This study provides design recommendations for the development of an mHealth device specifically adapted for people with CLBP.
慢性下背痛（CLBP）是全球范围内一个重大的经济和社会问题。尽管有多种推荐的治疗方法，但这种疾病的长期自我管理很复杂，需要开发创新的干预措施。移动健康（mHealth）技术为慢性疼痛的管理提供了巨大的潜力，尤其是支持身体活动。然而，由于在开发过程中没有充分考虑潜在用户的需求，其实施面临用户依从性和参与度有限的挑战。
本研究旨在探讨 CLBP 患者和医疗保健专业人员对支持自我管理身体活动的 mHealth 技术的需求，并根据确定的需求制定设计建议。
采用 3 个阶段的以用户为中心的设计方法进行参与式研究：在研讨会上与一组专家进行需求调查（第 1 阶段），在焦点小组中与最终用户进行需求探索（第 2 阶段），使用德尔菲问卷调查进行需求验证，然后制定一系列建议（第 3 阶段）。
共有 121 名 CLBP 患者、专家患者、医疗保健专业人员、康复研究人员和生物力学工程师参加了这项研究。研究结果表明，技术如何帮助 CLBP 患者克服管理身体活动的困难。针对设备目标、预期策略、功能、技术特点、使用条件以及使用的潜在促进因素和障碍，制定了具体需求。这些需求得到了潜在最终用户的一致验证，并转化为设计建议。
本研究为开发专门针对 CLBP 患者的 mHealth 设备提供了设计建议。
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