Academic Journal
Iterative usability testing of a digital joint protection program for people with hand osteoarthritis.
| Τίτλος: | Iterative usability testing of a digital joint protection program for people with hand osteoarthritis. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Pouliopoulou DV; School of Physical Therapy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.; Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada., D'Alessandro V; School of Physical Therapy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada., Billias N; School of Physical Therapy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada., MacDermid JC; School of Physical Therapy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.; Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada.; Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada., Lin YM; Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada., Lalone E; Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada.; Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada., Grewal R; Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St Joseph's Healthcare Centre, London, Ontario, Canada., Bobos P; School of Physical Therapy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.; Western's Bone and Joint Institute, Collaborative Musculoskeletal Health Research Program, London, Ontario, Canada.; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. |
| Πηγή: | PloS one [PLoS One] 2026 Apr 09; Vol. 21 (4), pp. e0342571. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 09 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Osteoarthritis*/physiopathology , Osteoarthritis*/therapy , Hand Joints*/physiopathology , Hand*, Humans ; Aged ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Digital Health |
| Περίληψη: | Hand osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain, disability, and reduced quality of life in older adults. Joint protection programs are recommended as a core component of self-management, but traditional delivery is limited by barriers to access. Digital programs can overcome these challenges for some people, but their reach and effectiveness depend on usability. We conducted a mixed methods usability study of a remotely delivered joint protection program designed for people with hand osteoarthritis. Twenty-three participants took part, recruited through purposeful sampling to ensure inclusion of groups often underrepresented in research. Usability was assessed using predefined task completion, browser-based eye-tracking, participant ratings, and think-aloud protocols, with iterative refinements applied between participants. Routine navigation tasks, such as navigating between different modules, accessing interactive activities, and viewing short videos, were consistently completed with high success. More complex interactive tasks, including drag-and-drop activities, scenario-based modules, and toggling videos to full screen, initially posed challenges. Over successive iterations, however, usability improved markedly, with later participants achieving near-perfect performance. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants valued clear language, short and focused videos, interactive elements, and the ability to proceed at their own pace, while raising concerns about excessive clicking, unclear instructions, and variation in age representation. Iterative refinements, including platform adjustments, clearer instructions and an introductory video, addressed these issues and contributed to improved performance. This study demonstrates that a remotely delivered, technology-enabled joint protection program for hand osteoarthritis is usable, accessible, and engaging across a diverse sample. Beyond refining the program itself, the study introduces a practical framework for iterative, equity-informed usability testing that can inform the design of future digital health interventions. (Copyright: © 2026 Pouliopoulou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.) |
| Competing Interests: | The authors have read the journal’s policy and have the following competing interests: JCM receives salary support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research through a Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Health Outcomes and Knowledge Translation (CRC-2019-00254). JCM also holds the Dr. James Roth Chair in Musculoskeletal Measurement and Knowledge Translation at Western University, an endowed personnel award that provides salary support. DVP received doctoral funding from Arthritis Society Canada, the Canadian Behavioural Trials and Interventions Network, and Western University’s Bone and Joint Institute. She also held an Ontario Graduate Scholarship funded by the Province of Ontario and administered through Western University. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. |
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| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260409 Date Completed: 20260714 Latest Revision: 20260926 |
| Update Code: | 20260926 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13065036 |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0342571 |
| PMID: | 41955243 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
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| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0342571 |