Single-blind RCT Comparing Smartphone vs. Paper-based HEP in Pelvic Floor PT

Smart Soulitions: A Single-blind Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Smartphone-based Home Exercise to the Paper-based Standard of Care on Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness Outcomes and Home Exercise Adherence.

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate the impact of a smartphone-based application on patient-reported outcomes for patients with pelvic floor muscle weakness, and the relationship of patient adherence to outcomes in pelvic floor physical therapy compared to the paper-based standard of care.

An additional aim is the exploration and development of two patient-reported questionnaires to enhance understanding of exercise adherence in outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy and smartphone application self-efficacy. These goals will serve to improve practice recommendations for home exercise prescriptions in this patient population.

Participants will be asked to complete 6 patient-reported outcome measures after they complete four, 60-minute long physical therapy treatment sessions conducted one time per week according to the current standard of care for pelvic floor physical therapy.

The experimental group will be given a free pelvic floor muscle exercise application while the control group will be provided with the paper-based standard of care for their home exercise program.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-85 years old

  • Referred to outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy for treatment of pelvic floor weakness
  • Generation 5 or later iPhone, Android, or Smart Device
  • Must be willing to receive Push Notification reminders from the application
  • Must have free space on device to download and install app
  • Must have access to the Google Play store or to iOS Apple App Store

Exclusion Criteria:

• ● Not Meeting Inclusion Criteria

  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery with complications
  • Neurodegenerative Disease
  • History of TBI or CVA with resulting impairment in long- or short-term memory
  • Denervation injury to the pelvic floor
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Pelvic Pain Condition
  • Incapable of Completing Outcomes Questionnaire without caregiver support
  • Unable to speak and read English
  • Current Pregnancy
  • Less than 6 weeks postpartum
  • Researcher judgement