Developing a Powerful Healthcare App for FLX!

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries and disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs which can cause pain and limit day-to-day activity. In 2018, it was recorded that MSDs affected over 14.9 million people in the UK and caused 28 million working days to be lost by businesses.

With MSDs having a severe impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, and the performance of businesses, FLX wanted to develop a digital solution to help improve the biomechanics of individuals and support strong musculoskeletal health.

In this case study we will explore how our team helped FLX develop a brand-new healthcare app to support musculoskeletal health and reduce the risk of MSDs.

Aims & Objectives

Back in 2018, our team were approached by FLX founders, Rob Lewis, Martin Haines, and Andrew Wootton to help develop a digital solution. Following initial discussions with FLX, our team were tasked to develop an innovative physiotherapy app which would help improve musculoskeletal health and aim to reduce the number of MSDs in the workplace.

The app features complex biomechanical and clinical algorithms created by Martin Haines, which would provide self-management exercise programmes for those suffering from musculoskeletal pain, whilst also helping to prevent these issues developing in the first place.

With our objectives established, our development team began conducting research to help select the best platform and approach for developing the brand-new app.

Research

With the aims and objectives set, our team conducted research to help select the best platform for developing the brand-new app. Our team also conducted research investigating similar fitness and healthcare apps to help inspire the design and functionality for our new app.

After much consideration, our team concluded that our healthcare app would be created using XCode & Android Studio. Using these platforms would allow our team to develop a secure and powerful app which would be accessible for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, our development team would utilise additional tools from AWS Amplify which would help to enhance the overall features and usability for app users.

App Functionality

At the core of our app, a clinically proven algorithm developed by FLX Founder Martin Haines was used to identify the personal biomechanical profile of each user and recommend a series of personalised physical therapy exercises to help prevent and treat MSD. This algorithm was modelled from detailed biomechanical research involving over 4,500 people over 15-year period in real-world environments. Additionally, the exercises were designed so that these could be done from anywhere (including at home, in the workplace, or at gym).  Furthermore, all these activities could be done without a consultation with a physiotherapist.

Before an individual could use the app, they would initially have to set up a personal biomechanical profile. After creating a profile and answering some screening questions, the app would display two programmes.

Pain Programme

The Pain Programme was designed to help users who were currently experiencing musculoskeletal pain. This programme would ask the user to answer a selection of screening questions to help identify the specific pain within their body. Following this screening, the user would then be given a series of exercises and self-help techniques to help manage that specific pain. This programme was designed to also adapt over time to adjust to the user’s progress.

Biomechanics Programmes

The Biomechanics Programme was designed to help users to correct biomechanical dysfunction to help prevent future MSD issues. This programme would assess the user’s biomechanical profile and recommend a personalised exercise plan to help maintain a healthy biomechanical profile; improving their performance both at work and in their physical activities outside of work.

Data Dashboard

In addition to the two programmes, data collected from the Pain & Biomechanics Programmes could be presented on a personalised dashboard for users. Additionally, data could also be collated on a dashboard for a larger group in a workforce.

An overview of the FLX app can be seen in the video here! 👉

App Launch

Following the development of the healthcare app, this was incredibly well received by FLX, and our team were highly praised for creating an effective and powerful digital platform.

The FLX app was trialled by the South Yorkshire Police force by 237 participants. During a 12-week period, the FLX app helped to reduce MSDs by 64%, and absentees reduced from 43 to 18 days.  This impact on the business performance helped South Yorkshire Police to save over £65k per year in that cohort.

FLX have since partnered with workplace safety experts Arco, who are the UK’s leading distributor of safety products and services, with a core purpose of keeping people safe at work. You can read more about this exciting partnership with FLX Health and Arco here!

Summary

Do you have an idea for a revolutionary new digital app? According to a recent survey, “there were more than 250 million daily app downloads between 2019–2020” and it is anticipated that “there will be 184 billion apps to be downloaded in 2024”. With mobile apps becoming increasingly popular, now is the perfect time to create an engaging digital experience for your customers and stakeholders.

At Eon Visual Media, our experienced team of in-house developers have helped to develop apps for some of the UK’s largest B2B and B2C businesses, turning their ideas into reliable and robust pieces of technology. Our team can help guide you through the 3 core stages of mobile app production, from concept and app design all the way through to wireframing, app development and optimisation.

We have the tools, technology, and expertise to help design a bespoke solution tailored for your business strategy to help you achieve your goals. Want to find out more? Drop us a message, and we would love to chat to you about your app idea!