Implementation of the TRAK intervention to enable e-rehab for knee conditions: a web-based intervention suite to support self-management in rehabilitation Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

Physiotherapy is often recommended to help with musculoskeletal conditions, particularly knee problems, which are extremely common and can significantly affect mobility and quality of life.

To address the rising demand for longer term management of musculoskeletal conditions, a team at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (C&V UHB) and Cardiff University developed TRAK – an e-health application suite that provides a patient-focused approach to sharing information and prescribing exercise.

The web-based app gives patients information about the nature of their condition, along with a self-care plan containing practical information on rehabilitation exercises. It also allows patients to keep an exercise diary.

This project evaluated the effectiveness of implementing TRAK into routine health care practice. It was successfully integrated into the NHS IT infrastructure and embedded into the physiotherapy outpatient service within C&V UHB, providing the first example of an e-health intervention being used to support personal care plans for knee conditions.

Both patients and physiotherapists reported that TRAK was easy to use and, based on their experience, it appears to add value to supporting self-care. There was also some evidence that using TRAK may enhance treatment outcomes, with preliminary findings indicating improvement in symptoms and physical activity over time. 

TRAK is transferable to other institutions and can be expanded for use in other health care settings, such as primary care. However, integration into clinical practice posed challenges and new learning needs for physiotherapists, which would need to be addressed with a comprehensive training package for any future implementation.

This Innovating for Improvement project ran from the beginning of May 2015 until the end of July 2016.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Kate Button, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, University Hospital of Wales.