Wedig Isaac J, Petushek Erich J, Durocher John J, McDaniel John, Elmer Steven J
School of Health and Human Performance, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, United States.
Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, United States.
Front Physiol. 2025 Jul 15;16:1631562. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1631562. eCollection 2025.
Exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) has gained popularity for use with a wide range of healthy and clinical populations. However, several factors including medical screening, selection of equipment, and determination of cuff pressure still pose barriers for implementation. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop and test a web-based application to guide practitioners in using BFR safely and effectively.
First, we developed an application to assist with medical screening, selection of appropriate equipment, and determination of cuff pressures. Subsequently, we conducted preliminary usability testing of the application using a mixed methods approach. Licensed physical therapists (n = 5) with no prior experience with BFR used the application to implement BFR exercise in hypothetical patient scenarios. Afterward, perceived usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and semi-structured interviews analyzed through thematic analysis.
All task scenarios were successfully completed in an average time of 2.3 ± 1.2 min. A total of 11 errors occurred, including minor navigation issues (4), data input problems (2), and difficulty interpreting recommendations (5). The composite SUS score was 94 ± 5, ranking highly compared to industry standards. Interviews revealed that the application was efficient, boosted confidence in using BFR, and increased the perceived likelihood of incorporating BFR into clinical practice.
These findings suggest that the web-based application has potential to serve as a valuable tool for overcoming barriers to BFR use, enhancing accessibility, and improving the safety and effectiveness of BFR implementation in clinical settings.
限制血流的运动（BFR）已在广泛的健康人群和临床人群中得到普及应用。然而，包括医学筛查、设备选择和袖带压力测定在内的几个因素仍然是实施过程中的障碍。因此，本研究旨在开发并测试一款基于网络的应用程序，以指导从业者安全有效地使用BFR。
首先，我们开发了一款应用程序，用于辅助医学筛查、选择合适的设备以及测定袖带压力。随后，我们采用混合方法对该应用程序进行了初步可用性测试。5名没有BFR使用经验的持牌物理治疗师在假设的患者场景中使用该应用程序来实施BFR运动。之后，使用系统可用性量表（SUS）评估感知可用性，并通过主题分析对半结构化访谈进行分析。
所有任务场景平均在2.3±1.2分钟内成功完成。共出现11个错误，包括轻微的导航问题（4个）、数据输入问题（2个）和难以理解建议（5个）。SUS综合评分为94±5，与行业标准相比排名很高。访谈显示，该应用程序效率高，增强了使用BFR的信心，并增加了将BFR纳入临床实践的感知可能性。
这些发现表明，基于网络的应用程序有可能成为一种有价值的工具，用于克服BFR使用的障碍，提高可及性，并改善临床环境中BFR实施的安全性和有效性。
