Formative Evaluation of a Mobile Application Facilitated Self-directed Rehabilitation Programme for Knee Osteoarthritis
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Singapore General Hospital
- Where
- Singapore, SingaporeSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 30 people, planned
- Started
- 1 Aug 2026
- Expected to end
- 31 Dec 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Self-directed rehabiliation using the mobile application
- Record updated
- 19 August 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 45 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
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Who can take part
- Meet the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) osteoarthritis clinical criteria (7)
- aged 45 years and over
- activity related knee joint pain
- morning stiffness ≤30 min
- History of knee pain on most days for ≥3 months
- Able to give informed consent and to participate fully in the interventions and assessment procedures
- Has a smartphone and be willing to use it during the study
- Able to share photos/ videos with other phone contacts using smartphone
Who cannot take part
- A previous history of stroke and other major neurological conditions
- An intention to undergo knee joint replacement surgery or have had a knee joint replacement
- Patients who meet any of the exclusion criteria mentioned below will be excluded from participation
- Rheumatoid arthritis and other systemic arthritis
- Has significant back or other non-knee pain
Where in Singapore
- Singapore General HospitalSingapore, SingaporeContact: Ee Lin WoonNo longer taking part
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
In Singapore, knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition, reflecting global trends of an aging population and lifestyle factors. With Singapore's rapidly aging population and the rising prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles, knee OA has become increasingly common. According to recent studies, symptomatic OA of the knee affects around one-fifth (~300K) of Singaporeans aged 50 years or older. Individuals with advanced knee OA and severe disability often require a total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. While knee replacement surgery is an effective option for severe knee OA, it is costly and there are risks of complications, and should only be considered when all appropriate non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted. Existing research suggests at least a quarter of knee replacements could have been avoided through more optimal conservative treatments.
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Despite established healthcare systems and treatment pathways, studies in several settings report that the majority of patients with OA do not receive appropriate and optimal medical care. In Singapore, several factors such as cost, extended wait times, cultural factors and travel inconvenience pose barriers to accessing physiotherapy services. These factors hinder patients' ability to access care resulting in suboptimal care, poor outcomes, and needless economic burden. Thus, there is a large unmet need for innovative and flexible strategies to deliver effective conservative management and treatment for knee OA widely and at a relatively low cost.
Solutions that empower individuals and allow for self-directed rehabilitation without the need for real-time human supervision could be the key to improve effectiveness, accessibility and reduce the reliance on healthcare manpower. Given the prevalence of mobile phone, mobile applications offer a promising avenue for delivering self-directed rehabilitation programs to adults with knee OA. Previous self-directed rehabilitation programs for patients with knee OA have shown promise, however, the adoption and adherence to these programmes remain low, particularly among older adults who may not be technologically savvy. Developing an application that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of older adults with knee osteoarthritis is crucial to improve engagement and long-term adherence to the programme.
The investigators have previously developed a technology-enabled self-directed rehabilitation program for patients who have undergone TKR for primary knee OA. Subsequently, Managing Osteoarthritis of the knee using Therapist-Technology Optimized Rehabilitation (MO-knee-TOR) - a standalone mobile app to facilitate self-directed rehabilitation and complement a "blended" care approach involving an initial face-to-face session with the physiotherapist was developed. MO-knee-TOR was developed for patients with TKR and subsequently evaluated in 2 pilot randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In one of the RCTs, it was found that self-directed rehabilitation post TKR facilitated using the mobile application improved exercise adherence without compromising safety and clinical outcomes. In this current proposal, MO-knee-TOR is adapted for conservative knee OA management through a single-arm pre-post feasibility study with a nested qualitative component.
The group in the trial
- Self-directed rehabilitation using the mobile applicationTreatment being tested
Participants will be instructed on the installation and use of the mobile application on their personal mobile phones. Participants will then have to perform the assigned tasks using the mobile application for 12 weeks
Treatment: Self-directed rehabiliation using the mobile application
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Formative Evaluation of a Mobile Application Facilitated Self-Directed Rehabilitation Programme for the Conservative Management of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Record updated
- 19 August 2026