Comparative Effectiveness Study of an Exercise Intervention Delivered Via Telerehabilitation and Conventional Mode of Delivery
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Sponsor
- Shepherd Center, Atlanta GA
- Enrollment
- 379
- Locations
- 9
- Primary Endpoint
- Timed 25 Foot Walk Test (T25FWT)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
This study aims to compare the effectiveness of an exercise program delivered in a conventional facility-based format versus a telerehabilitation format, which takes place in the home. Exercise can improve mobility and perhaps decrease the rate and extent of disability in people with MS. Evidence shows that traditional, facility-based exercise training may help people with MS consistently participate in exercise or to exercise at a higher, more intense level. Despite this evidence, lack of access to facility-based exercise programs may make it difficult for people with MS to engage in exercise.Telerehabilitation (telerehab) has great potential to overcome challenges associated with facility-based programs. Telerehab can include videoconferencing, remote monitoring of signs and activity, and dissemination of specialized and individualized information via electronic mechanisms, such as smartphones and computers. Both facility-based and telerehab exercise training have yielded positive results in people with MS, but have not been compared head-to-head. The current study will fill this gap in the evidence base and compare the outcomes of delivering the same exercise interventions in a facility or in the home/community using a telerehab approach. The interventions are designed to be identical in content, with the only difference being the mode of training delivery.
Detailed Description
Funded by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), this four-year, multi-site study aims to compare the effectiveness of a 16-week telerehabilitation (telerehab) exercise program and a facility-based exercise program on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) outcomes. The research study design is a two-stage randomized choice design aimed at non-inferiority. Four hundred participants with MS who have ambulatory difficulties will be recruited from nine sites. First level randomization will assign participants to one of two groups - Choice or Random. The participants in Choice will be able to choose in which program they wish to participate (telerehab or facility-based). Individuals in the Random group, will be further randomized to either the telerehab or facility-based program. The research protocol and associated tools will be reviewed and approved by all relevant Research Review Committees before any research takes place. The study will comply with best practices in human subjects' research including following HIPAA guidelines and using strict informed consent procedures. Clinical reported outcome measures and patient reported outcome measures will be administered at baseline, immediately post-intervention (at 16 weeks), and at 12 months post-intervention. Patient reported outcomes will also be administered at 2 months and 6 months after the start of the intervention. Dr. Deborah Backus is the principal investigator (PI) and Prof. Robert Motl is the co-Principal Investigator supported by collaborating co-Investigators at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center, Ohio; Marquette University, Wisconsin; University of Colorado, Denver; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; the University of Georgia; the Tanner Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Birmingham Alabama; Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; and the iConquerMS outcomes data collaborative (Accelerated Cure Project for MS). Shepherd Center is the primary and coordinating site for all study activities under Dr. Backus. University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under the leadership of Prof. Motl will oversee delivery of the training programs, and statistical analysis under the direction of Dr. Gary Cutter. This study will yield important data regarding the comparative impact of exercise programs on MS outcomes and provide information to people with MS, health providers, payers, exercise partners, and policy makers about how people with MS who have ambulatory difficulties can safely and effectively exercise.
Investigators
Deborah Backus
Director of Multiple Sclerosis Research
Shepherd Center, Atlanta GA
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Mild to moderate MS
- •Has limitations in walking but can walk 25 feet
- •Does not participate in a rigorous exercise program
- •Can travel to trial site for assessments and training
Exclusion Criteria
- •Relapse in the past 30 days
- •Other neurological or musculoskeletal disorders
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Timed 25 Foot Walk Test (T25FWT)
Time Frame: Change from baseline T25FWT at 16-weeks
The Timed 25 Foot Walk Test (T25FWT) is a measure of walking speed. Individuals are instructed to walk 25 feet as quickly and safely as possible from one marked end to the other. Higher walking speed (feet per second) indicate improved walking function.
Secondary Outcomes
- Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)
- Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS)-12 Questionnaire(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)
- Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity (LTPA) Questionnaire(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)
- Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) Survey(Change from baseline at 16 weeks.)
- Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS)-29(Change from baseline at 16 weeks.)
- Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS)(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)
- Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)
- Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS)(Change from baseline at 16 weeks)