Effects of Messages Delivered by Mobile Phone on Increasing Compliance With Shoulder Exercises Among Patients With a Frozen Shoulder

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of reminders, encouragement, and educational messages delivered by mobile phone on shoulder exercise compliance and improvements in shoulder function among patients with a frozen shoulder. Design and Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was used. A convenience sample of patients with a frozen shoulder in an orthopedic outpatient clinic was recruited. All participants were instructed on how to do shoulder exercises and were provided with a printed pamphlet about shoulder exercises. Then, the intervention group received reminders, encouragement, and educational messages by mobile phone daily for the next 2 weeks, while the comparison group did not. Findings: The intervention group had higher compliance with shoulder exercises than did the comparison group (t = 2.263, p = .03) and had significant improvements in shoulder forward flexion (F = 12.067, p = .001), external rotation (F = 13.61, p = .001), and internal rotation (F = 5.903, p = .018) compared to those in the comparison group after the 2-week intervention. Conclusions: The text messages significantly increased patient compliance with shoulder exercises and thus improved patients' shoulder range of motion. Clinical Relevance: Hospital or clinics can send appropriate messages to patients via text message platforms in order to remind and encourage them to do shoulder exercises.