mHealth applications to enhance physical therapy outcomes among adults with chronic non-cancer pain: a scoping review
Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2026 Jun 11;7:1669079. doi: 10.3389/fpain.2026.1669079. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: mHealth applications for managing pain in the physical therapy (PT) setting are growing in popularity. However, multiple knowledge gaps persist regarding the utility of these tools, including the types of mHealth delivery modalities tested and the amount of therapy delivered. This scoping review sought to characterize existing literature examining use of mHealth applications in adults (18+) with chronic pain eligible for PT.
METHODS: We searched multiple databases to identify English-language articles using pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted key data (e.g., study design, intervention elements).
RESULTS: Forty-two studies met eligibility criteria and were analyzed. Average participant age was 51.8 years and a substantial majority of studies (85.7%) did not report on participants' race/ethnicity status. The mHealth interventions included stand alone apps, wearables for performance measurement (including activity trackers), and web-based content in combination with other components. Most mHealth tools delivered exercise and/or education. Most studies examined outcomes immediately or up to 3 months after completion of the intervention. The intervention results were mixed, potentially due to heterogeneity of interventions and study designs. Using the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development to gauge the stage of research, 64.2% of studies were classified as early-stage investigations.
DISCUSSION: This scoping review identified key knowledge gaps that can guide future research, including the need to better characterize study populations, conduct future research evaluating the impact of mHealth in older populations, conduct real world effectiveness studies, and assess both adherence to the prescribed mHealth intervention and targeted behaviors.
PMID:42367235 | PMC:PMC13293871 | DOI:10.3389/fpain.2026.1669079