Tracking
progress, improving
outcomes
for children in
orthopedic therapy
Managing a child’s foot brace can be a daily challenge. Parents often feel overwhelmed trying to ensure proper fit and consistent wear while tracking progress. “Getting Ethan to wear his foot brace was a struggle,” recalls Jessica, mother of a 6-year-old with Cerebral Palsy. Activepal aimed to address these challenges, providing a supportive platform for therapist and families of children undergoing orthotic therapy.
Problem Statement
Through initial research, including interviews and online forums, revealed key challenges faced by caregivers of children using orthotics and physical therapy:
Lack of Clear Guidance: Inconsistent exercise implementation slows progress.
No Centralized Support: Caregivers struggle to find a single, reliable system for information and progress tracking.
Cumbersome Tracking: Manual tracking of wear time and exercises is error-prone and demotivating.
Product Vision
- Tracks orthosis wear time and therapy exercises through simple logging tools.
- Delivers animated, child-specific exercise routines for accurate home practice.
- Visualizes progress to keep families motivated and aligned with therapy goals.
Primary Persona: David
Name: David
Father of two, including Leo (son with Cerebral Palsy)
Occupation: Business Owner
Biography : David, a 35-year-old father of two, juggles work, family, and managing his son Leo’s treatment. He struggles with brace management, communication with the therapist, and the constant stress of it all. He needs simpler tracking, streamlined communication, and more time.
Pain Points.
Brace Management is Frustrating: Getting Leo to wear his brace consistently is a daily struggle.
Communication Gaps: Updates with the therapist, orthopedics, pediatrics, feel scattered, making it hard to track progress.
Exercise Compliance is Inconsistent: Ensuring Leo completes his two hours of daily physical therapy exercises is another challenge.
Goals
Simplified Tracking: A stress-free way to monitor Leo’s brace wear and daily exercises.
Streamlined Communication: An easier way to stay connected with Leo’s therapist, orthopedic and pediatrician.
Reduced Stress: Fewer daily struggles over the brace and exercises.
Competitive Analysis: Identifying Opportunities
| Feature | ActivePal | MyTherapy | PT Pal | TheraBand |
| Orthosis Tracking | Yes – Fully supported | No | Limited | No |
| Exercise Videos | Yes- Custom exercises for kids | No | Some content, not tailored | Yes |
| Therapist Communication | Yes- Built-in messaging & updates | No | No | No |
| Child-Specific Content | Yes- Designed for pediatric needs | No | No | No |
MyTherapy focuses on medication reminders, a different user need. While PT Pal offers some exercise tracking, it lacks orthosis wear time tracking, a critical need for our target users. TheraBand provides general exercise videos but doesn’t cater specifically to children’s therapy or integrate with orthosis management. This analysis highlighted the opportunity for ActivePal to provide a comprehensive solution.
Design Process & Solutions
Feature Prioritization Framework
| Feature | Impact | Complexity | Value | Priority Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wear Time Tracking | 9 | 5 | 8 | 12 (High) |
| Exercise Guidance | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 (Medium) |
| Provider Communication | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 (Medium) |
| Progress Visualization | 9 | 6 | 10 | 13 (High) |
| Rewards System | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 (Low) |
Design Evolution :
Design process involved multiple iterations based on user feedback:
- Initial Wireframes: Low-fidelity sketches exploring different input mechanisms and information architecture
- Mid-fidelity Prototypes: Developed in Figma to test navigation and core interactions
- Usability Testing: Conducted with 8 caregivers using task-based scenariosFinal Design: Refined based on user feedback and heuristic evaluation
Key Features
- Therapy management Dashboard
2. Wear Time Tracking
3. Exercise Guidance
4. Schedule
5. Provider Communication
6. Resources
Usability Testing Results
- Task Completion Rate: 87% across all core functions
- System Usability Scale (SUS) Score: 83/100
- Time on Task Improvement: 42% reduction from initial to final prototype
Recommendations for Future Expansion
- Telehealth Integration: Direct video consultations with providers
- AI-Powered Exercise Analysis: Computer vision to provide feedback on exercise form
- Expanded Device Compatibility: Integration with smart orthotic devices for automated tracking
- Community Features: Opt-in parent groups for support and motivation
Conclusion
The ActivePal App demonstrates strong potential in addressing the critical needs of caregivers managing pediatric orthotic therapy. It serves as a tool to improve outcomes for children using orthoses by fostering better communication, monitoring, and support throughout the treatment process.