Promising patient experiences with a smartphone app and remote coaching for improving physical activity and protein intake to enhance recovery after oncological surgery: a multi-methods study

Purpose: The Optimal Physical Recovery After Hospitalization (OPRAH) Intervention is a blended intervention, combining a smartphone app for self-monitoring of physical activity and protein intake with coaching from a physiotherapist and dietician, to enhance the functional recovery after gastro-intestinal or lung cancer surgery. The aim was to evaluate patients’ experiences with the OPRAH intervention. Methods: This study used a multi-method approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews and an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the System Usability Scale (SUS) to evaluate the smartphone app. Sixty-eight patients were invited to complete the online survey, 58 providing responses. Purposeful sampling guided the selection of participants for interviews (n = 24), which focused on experiences with the application, activity tracker, and remote coaching. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively using an inductive thematic approach. Results: The app was rated with an excellent usability (mean ± SD SUS of 86.2 ± 12.0) and 97% of the patients would recommend the intervention to others. Patients reported that the intervention enhanced their understanding of their recovery process, motivated them to achieve protein and physical activity goals, and contributed to their overall recovery. The combination of app usage and monitoring by a physiotherapist and dietician fostered a sense of being supported. However, patients suggested that the intervention could be improved by further tailoring it to individual needs, detailing the nutritional component of the app, and redesigning the activity tracker bracelet. Conclusions: The OPRAH intervention demonstrated excellent system usability and predominantly positive experiences. Incorporating patient recommendations could further support its integration into regular healthcare.