Increasing Physician Use of Exercise for Treating Osteoarthritis of the Knee

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposed project will develop a Therapeutic Exercise Resource Center (TERC) web site that will serve as a resource for physicians working with patients who have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The purpose of this project is to increase physician use of exercise in treating OA of the knee patients. This project will make use of existing computer-based technology and draw upon the developer's extensive knowledge in the development of exercise animations and web-based technologies. The program will use knowledge and experience from consultants who have extensive experience in treating OA of the knee. The content of the Web site will include specific strength, flexibility and aerobic daily exercise routines. Exercise instruction will be done with the use of high quality animations demonstrating proper exercise techniques. We will evaluate the efficacy and customer satisfaction of the TERC web site with 10 physicians and 40 patients from Madison WI and the surrounding area. Patients will be asked to consent and obtain medical clearance to use the web site. Baseline pain, stiffness and quality of life measures will be assessed prior to the use of the web site and after eight weeks of usage. Follow-up measures of consumer satisfaction, self-efficacy, and use of the program will be gained from these 40 patients through self-reports and daily log data from the web site. The goals of Phase II are to revise the program based on Phase I evaluation and feedback from users and focus groups. Phase II will expand the content on the web site to include 1) video testimonials of patients who successfully manage their condition with exercise 2) an auto exercise reminder mechanism to improve patient adherence to their exercise program 3) an information center of pain management techniques. The final product will be a free web site whose revenues generated by advertising. It will be marketed to family practice physicians, orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed TREC web site will provide physicians with a resource that will increase their use of exercise therapy to improve outcomes for patients with OA of the knee. The use of high quality animations will enhance the patient's ability to correctly perform the prescribed exercises. The results will be patients who experience less pain, greater mobility and a higher quality of life.