Evaluating the impact of electronic exercise prescription software on compliance with a physiotherapy program

Home exercise programs are a cornerstone of physiotherapy — but many patients struggle to remember what exercises to do, how to do them correctly, or find paper handouts easy to lose or ignore. This study is comparing traditional paper-based exercise prescriptions with a smartphone app-based system, to see whether digital delivery improves how well patients stick to their program and achieve their rehabilitation goals. Patients referred to physiotherapy for a shoulder, hip, knee, or lower back complaint will be assigned to either the paper or app-based exercise program. The study will track adherence (how often they do their exercises), outcomes (how much their condition improves), satisfaction with their program, and how well they understand what they are doing and why. You may be eligible if you are 18 or older, have been referred for physiotherapy management of one of these joint complaints, need a home exercise program for at least two weeks, and have a smartphone or computer with internet access. People referred for multiple joint problems at once are not eligible. This study addresses a very practical question with big potential implications: if digital exercise prescriptions meaningfully improve adherence, this technology could be adopted widely to improve outcomes for the many millions of people who undergo physiotherapy each year.