This PhD project focuses on understanding needs of youth with idiopathic scoliosis and to examine how the needs can be improved by using a digital solution – e.g. a smartphone application.
The overall aim of this project is to co-create, test and validate the first service of a personalized gamified, mobile physiotherapy and treatment solution for the youth (10–24 years) with scoliosis, which has not been investigated or offered to the patients in Norway before.
This solution also aims to introduce physiotherapy in the form of gamified elements that youth can easily access and use together with their parents and encourage higher treatment compliance.
Companies, end users, and expert teams will be involved to co-create and continuously test the first prototype of gamified, personalized mobile physiotherapy and treatment intervention for children and teenagers with scoliosis.
The prototype of the solution will be preliminary validated with youth in Norway to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the solution in terms of usability, fidelity, and motivation.
Participants
More about the project
Scoliosis is a common term used for a group of conditions that feature alterations in the shape and position of the spine, thorax, and trunk. It is a multifactorial disorder in which the cause is unknown in the majority of cases.
If it is left untreated, scoliosis may lead to severe trunk deformities, which consequently limit the capacity and function of the chest for its biomechanical role in respiration, exercise capacity, general well-being, and ability to work.
Impaired quality of life because of deformity is not only related to physical health but dramatically affects the mental health of affected individuals. A major group of patients with scoliosis are adolescents, who may start healthy but develop scoliosis during a rapid growth period.
There is also a gender effect in scoliosis, where it is seen much more frequently in girls during growth with a surge at puberty. The progression of idiopathic scoliosis is much lower after the spinal growth is over.
The goal of treatment
About ten percent of the diagnosed cases need conservative treatment and 0.1-0.3 percent need to undergo corrective surgery for the deformity. The goal of treatment in scoliosis is to stop or minimize curve progression as early as possible, and in particular at its common peak of appearance at puberty.
This will consequently help in preventing or treating respiratory dysfunction, spinal central pain, and more successful postural correction. Therefore, conservative treatment must be considered in which a multidimensional treatment plan is offered.
Patient and family education, psychotherapy, systematic monitoring of outcomes, assessment of patient compliance, and verification and modification of methods during treatment are essential points to include.
Treatment challenges
There are several challenges related to the scoliosis treatment.
First, a key challenge in scoliosis treatment is how to motivate youth around 11–14 years to follow up the treatment plan including the use of a very uncomfortable brace and doing daily physiotherapy activities according to the plan made by an expert team (physicians, physiotherapists, and psychologists).
One common feature of conservative treatments is to actively involve the youth and family caregivers in order to achieve an optimal outcome. The advancement of online access and growing support groups and forums also offer important features that positively affect the patients and their adherence to treatment plans.
The second challenge is how to know the treatment status to adjust the treatment plans. Now, in Norway, scoliosis patients lack competent personalized digital treatment, especially in the domain of physiotherapeutic exercises.
Therefore, there is a need to build a personalized digital scoliosis treatment service that supports an expert team to provide better help to motivate and help youth with scoliosis to conduct successful treatment in their growing period closely involving their parents.
Project aims
The aim of this PhD project is to co-create, test, and validate the first service of a personalized gamified, mobile physiotherapy and home treatment solution for youth with scoliosis.
The Design for Health research group at OsloMet will determine the need for a personalized gamified mobile physiotherapy and treatment service for the youth with scoliosis.
Current scoliosis services in Norway will be mapped with the needs in order to see how the current treatment can be improved using digital personalized and gamified service.
The prototype of the solution will be preliminary validated with the children or adolescents in Norway to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the solution in terms of usability, fidelity, and motivation.
Collaboration
- YouWell – E-health platform, building digital health services
- The Norwegian Spine and Back Pain Association
The project is conducted in close collaboration between the Design for Health Research Group and several hospitals in Norway.
