Designing a Self-Guided Digital Intervention for Self-Management of Shoulder Pain in People Living With Spinal Cord Injury: A Tutorial on Using a Person-based Approach
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Authors
Stavric, Verna
Saywell, Nicola L
Kayes, NM
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Volume Title
Publisher
JMIR Publications
Abstract
Shoulder pain is prevalent in people living with spinal cord injury. Technology and digital rehabilitation tools are increasingly available, but this has not yet included the provision of a self-guided exercise intervention focused on managing shoulder pain for people living with spinal cord injury. We drew on the person-based approach (PBA) to intervention development to design a Shoulder Pain Intervention delivered over the interNet (SPIN) to address this gap. However, in preparation for the design process, we found very few published examples of how the PBA had been operationalized. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed explanation of our approach and how we operationalized the PBA in the design of SPIN to maximize relevance and engagement. Our design process followed the key PBA steps, combining additional evidence and theoretical components. Each step ensured that guiding principles were formulated and followed to maximize the probability that SPIN would be fit for purpose. We followed 3 steps: (1) we drew on themes from preparatory research (existing and primary) to identify the key behavioral issues, needs and challenges, and existing features to form the basis of SPIN design; (2) we formatted guiding principles that included articulating specific design objectives to provide a framework to identify system requirements; and (3) we selected and refined intervention features using existing literature, behavioral theory, and tools such as the “Behaviour Change Wheel.” We have designed SPIN by incorporating a deep understanding of the users’ needs and best available evidence to maximize engagement and positive outcomes. In this paper, we have made clear how we operationalized the PBA phases, including how existing evidence, theory, tools, and methods were leveraged to support the PBA process. In explicating our process, we have provided a blueprint to guide future researchers using this approach.Description
Keywords
mHealth, behavioral analysis, digital health, digital interventions, intervention design, mobile apps, person-based approach, self-guided, self-management, shoulder pain, smartphones, spinal cord injury, 4201 Allied Health and Rehabilitation Science, 42 Health Sciences, Traumatic Head and Spine Injury, Chronic Pain, Behavioral and Social Science, Physical Injury - Accidents and Adverse Effects, Neurosciences, Physical Rehabilitation, Pain Research, Spinal Cord Injury, Rehabilitation, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 4203 Health services and systems, 4206 Public health, 4601 Applied computing
Source
JMIR mHealth and uHealth, ISSN: 2291-5222 (Print); 2291-5222 (Online), JMIR Publications, 14, e66678-. doi: 10.2196/66678
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Rights statement
© Verna Stavric, Nicola L Saywell, Nicola M Kayes. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (https://mhealth.jmir.org), 5.Jan.2026. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://mhealth.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.