Patients’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences with the Optimal Physical Recovery After Hospitalization (OPRAH) intervention

The OPRAH intervention, comprising a smartphone app for self-monitoring physical activity and protein intake, along with remote coaching by physiotherapists and dieticians, aims to optimize post-surgery recovery for abdominal or lung cancer patients. We investigated the experiences of patients and healthcare professionals with this intervention.

Mixed-methods approach was used, consisted of semi-structured interviews and online survey included the System Usability Scale (SUS). Topics were: the influence of nutrition and physical activity on recovery and experiences of the Atris app, activity tracker, and remote coaching. Additional questions for healthcare professionals about collaboration and knowledge were asked. Interviews were analysed qualitative using inductive thematic strategy.

55 surveys and 10 patients’, 4 physiotherapists' and 6 dieticians' interviews were conducted. Patients rated the app highly usable (SUS 86.1), experienced the intervention to be stimulated and motivating and 96% would recommend it to other patients. They valued active engagement in their recovery process. Personalized goals were considered essential for maintaining adherence. However, patients reported technical issues and the appearance of the activity tracker that need to be solved. Healthcare professionals stated that the availability of continuous data on activity and dietary intake facilitates the provision of personalised care. However, accurate interpretation of the collected data requires additional knowledge in order to make it valuable to their treatment.

The feasibility of the intervention is supported by positive user experiences from patients and healthcare professionals, as well as good system usability. Improvements to the activity trackers’ technical issues and design could aid in its implementation in regular healthcare.