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Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a prevalent autoimmune disease that usually involves problems of the hand or wrist. Current evidence recommends a multimodal therapy including exercise, self-management, and educational strategies. To date, the efficacy of this approach, as delivered using a smartphone app, has been scarcely investigated. Objective This study aims to assess the short- and medium-term efficacy of a digital app (CareHand) that includes a tailored home exercise program, together with educational and self-management recommendations, compared with usual care, for people with RA of the hands. Methods A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted between March 2020 and February 2021, including 36 participants with RA of the hands (women: 22/36, 61%) from 2 community health care centers. Participants were allocated to use the CareHand app, consisting of tailored exercise programs, and self-management and monitoring tools or to a control group that received a written home exercise routine and recommendations, as per the usual protocol provided at primary care settings. Both interventions lasted for 3 months (4 times a week). The primary outcome was hand function, assessed using the Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire (MHQ). Secondary measures included pain and stiffness intensity (visual analog scale), grip strength (dynamometer), pinch strength (pinch gauge), and upper limb function (shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire). All measures were collected at baseline and at a 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, the MHQ and self-reported stiffness were assessed 6 months after baseline, whereas pain intensity and scores on the shortened version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire were collected at the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Results In total, 30 individuals, corresponding to 58 hands (CareHand group: 26/58, 45%; control group: 32/58, 55%), were included in the analysis; 53% (19/36) of the participants received disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment. The ANOVA demonstrated a significant time×group effect for the total score of the MHQ (F1.62,85.67=9.163; P<.001; η2=0.15) and for several of its subscales: overall hand function, work performance, pain, and satisfaction (all P<.05), with mean differences between groups for the total score of 16.86 points (95% CI 8.70-25.03) at 3 months and 17.21 points (95% CI 4.78-29.63) at 6 months. No time×group interaction was observed for the secondary measures (all P>.05). Conclusions Adults with RA of the hands who used the CareHand app reported better results in the short and medium term for overall hand function, work performance, pain, and satisfaction, compared with usual care. The findings of this study suggest that the CareHand app is a promising tool for delivering exercise therapy and self-management recommendations to this population. Results must be interpreted with caution because of the lack of efficacy of the secondary outcomes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04263974; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04263974 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s13063-020-04713-4

BACKGROUND Exercise therapy, self-management and education are recommended interventions for hand osteoarthritis (OA), but new delivery systems are needed to solve lack of adherence. AIM To determine the effects on hand function and pain related measures of a mobile app-delivered intervention, compared with usual care, in patients with symptomatic hand OA. DESIGN A pragmatic, multicenter, two-group parallel randomized controlled trial. SETTING Community health centers in rural southern Spain. POPULATION Eighty-three participants with unilateral or bilateral symptomatic hand OA were proposed to participate, and finally 74 were included and randomized. METHODS Participants received a home multimodal treatment (exercise, education, and self-management recommendations) with the CareHand mobile app or usual care (written exercises) over 12 weeks. Monthly telephone calls were performed to monitor adherence. The primary outcome was hand physical function (Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index, AUSCAN) at 3- and 6-months. Secondary measures included hand pain intensity and morning stiffness, upper limb function, hand dexterity, and grip and pinch strength. RESULTS The CareHand group showed significant within-group changes in hand function at 6-months (-3.0, 95% CI -5.1 to -0.9 vs. usual care: -0.9, 95% CI -3.3 to 1.5). Neither group showed improvements in hand function at 3-months (CareHand: -1.5, 95% CI -3.1 to 0.1; usual care: -0.5, 95% CI -2.7 to 1.7). For the secondary outcomes, the CareHand group showed better results on upper limb function both at 3- and 6-months, and on pain both at 1- and 3-months compared to usual care group. Linear regression models indicated that baseline scores of pain intensity, hand status, and upper limb function were associated with a greater improvement in hand pain and physical function. CONCLUSIONS A mobile app-delivered intervention is effective for improving hand function, and better than usual care for upper limb function and pain. Further research is warranted to understand the impact of mobile health (mHealth) in people with hand OA. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT mHealth interventions are a feasible and secure multimodal delivery approach in older adults with hand OA in rural primary care setting. Baseline pain and upper limb function might predict functional hand outcomes.

Background Therapeutic exercise is a safe and cost-effective approach to alleviate hand rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related symptoms. This study aims to investigate the differences in self-management between a smartphone app (CareHand), using hand exercises and educational advices, compared with a standard approach, on hand overall function, pain intensity, stiffness, and grip and pinch strength in patients with hand RA. Methods The project is a prospective, longitudinal, superiority, randomized controlled trial. Fifty-eight participants with hand RA will be randomly assigned into an experimental group (CareHand app) or a control group (conventional treatment). Control intervention involves a paper sheet with exercises and recommendations, and the experimental group includes the use of a smartphone app, which provides individualized exercise programs, self-management, and educational strategies to promote adherence to treatment. Both intervention protocols will last for 3 months. The principal investigator will conduct an educational session at baseline for all participants. Primary outcome comprises the overall hand function, assessed with the Michigan Hand Outcome Questionnaire (MHQ). Secondary outcomes include self-reported functional ability with the Quick DASH questionnaire, self-reported pain intensity and morning stiffness using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and hand grip and pinch strength (dynamometer). Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, and at 1 month and 3-month follow-up. Discussion This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a tele-rehabilitation tool, which uses exercise and self-management strategies, compared to a conventional approach, in patients with hand RA. The smartphone app will allow to monitor the patient’s status and to enhance patient-therapist communication. Some limitations may be related to the short follow-up duration and the lack of evaluation of psychosocial factors. Overall, this new way of promoting long-term effects in patients with a chronic rheumatic disease could be feasible and easy to implement in daily life clinical practice and current musculoskeletal care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04263974. Registered on 7 March 2020. Date of last update 15 April 2020. Ethics committee code: PI_RH_2018.