Using KomPas+ in the Treatment of Patients With Intermittent Claudication

December 21, 2025 updated by: Radboud University Medical Center

Implementation and Evaluation of a Guideline-based Clinical Decision Support System (KomPas+) Used by Therapists and Patients in the Treatment of Intermittent Claudication: a Cluster Randomized Trial With a Parallel Process Evaluation

Intermittent claudication is the most common symptom of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The recommended therapy is supervised exercise therapy combined with lifestyle counselling, provided by a physiotherapist. Ideally, during the treatment process patients' values and preferences are incorporated with evidence-based knowledge; shared decision making (SDM). Evidence shows the use of SDM in daily practice is scarce. Therefore, personalized outcome forecasts which provide insight into an individual's personal prognosis (called KomPas) were implemented in 2020. Now, as a next step, KomPas is further developed into a guideline-based clinical decision support system. The result is called KomPas+, a tool which integrates the person-centered approach of KomPas with the guideline recommendations for the conservative treatment of people with intermittent claudication.The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of implementing KomPas+ in the physiotherapeutic treatment of patients with intermittent claudication on functional walking distance and health-related quality of life. Secondary, the level of SDM and person-centeredness of physiotherapists using KomPas or KomPas+ will be assessed. Third, the implementation process will be evaluated.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
2271

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Netherlands
      • Nijmegen, Netherlands, 6525 EP
        • IQ healthcare, Radboudumc

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria Primary objective:

- All therapists affiliated with Chronisch Zorgnet and specialized in the treatment of people with intermittent claudication are eligible to participate. Besides, all patients referred to a Chronisch Zorgnet therapist with intermittent claudication specialty are eligible to participate.

Inclusion Criteria Secondary objective:

  • Provides written informed consent (both therapist and patients)
  • Therapists should have finished two KomPas (control group) or KomPas+ (experimental group) e-learnings
  • Therapists should have applied KomPas (control group) or KomPas+ (experimental group) to at least one patient with intermittent claudication

Inclusion Criteria Third objective:

- All therapists affiliated with Chronisch Zorgnet and specialized in the treatment of people with intermittent claudication who are included in the experimental group are eligible to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not applicable due to the "real world" setting of the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Control group: no access to KomPas+
Therapists in the control group will not have access to KomPas+ and will continue to deliver usual care by using the KNGF guideline. They will also maintain access to KomPas. As with KomPas+, therapists are free to choose whether to use KomPas or not. The use of KomPas will also be encouraged.
Device: KomPas
KomPas is an online tool showing personalized outcome forecasts. These forecasts have been developed using real-world data of patients with intermittent claudication for physiotherapists in daily practice. The forecasts visualize the estimated outcome of supervised exercise therapy (walking distance and quality of life), for an individual patient with intermittent claudication. The information provided is based on patients similar to the individual patient from a large database. The actual outcome data of these similar patients are used to create an individual forecast. KomPas plots the estimated therapy outcome in time, thereby making personalized outcome forecasts. The forecasts are not used to direct the choices of treatment, but to motivate the patient, monitor the treatment process and to set realistic goals.
Experimental: Experimental group: access to KomPas+
KomPas+ will be implemented within the experimental group. The use of KomPas+ in the physiotherapeutic treatment of patients with intermittent claudication will not be mandatory but will be encouraged through an implementation strategy. Therapists are free to choose whether to use it or not.
Device: KomPas
KomPas is an online tool showing personalized outcome forecasts. These forecasts have been developed using real-world data of patients with intermittent claudication for physiotherapists in daily practice. The forecasts visualize the estimated outcome of supervised exercise therapy (walking distance and quality of life), for an individual patient with intermittent claudication. The information provided is based on patients similar to the individual patient from a large database. The actual outcome data of these similar patients are used to create an individual forecast. KomPas plots the estimated therapy outcome in time, thereby making personalized outcome forecasts. The forecasts are not used to direct the choices of treatment, but to motivate the patient, monitor the treatment process and to set realistic goals.
Device: KomPas+
KomPas+ is a guideline-based clinical decision support system. With KomPas+, the aim is to integrate KomPas with the guideline recommendations for the conservative treatment process of patients with intermittent claudication. KomPas+ is a web-based tool, aimed to facilitate person-centered and participatory healthcare. Therapists have access to a tool that will help, for example, to improve consistency between patient-specific goals and the treatment plan. Using KomPas+, therapists are encouraged to discuss choices in the treatment plan with the patient. It is expected that the included topics in KomPas+ will not be burdensome for both patients and therapists. Topics to discuss are, for example, Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT) for drawing up a training schedule. KomPas+ is meant to facilitate therapists and patients in the SDM process. It does not force patients to take part in the SDM process against their will.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Change from Baseline in Functional walking distance (FWD) using a standardized treadmill test at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months.
Time Frame: Change from baseline at 3 months and 6 months
The treadmill test is based on the graded Gardner-Skinner protocol. FWD is defined as the distance at which the patient would prefer to stop walking in daily life.
Change from baseline at 3 months and 6 months
Mean Change from Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life using the Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire-6 (VascuQol-6) at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months.
Time Frame: Change from baseline at 3 months and 6 months
The VascuQol-6 consists of six questions related to activities, symptom burden, pain, emotions and social consequences. The score ranges from 6 to 24, with a higher score representing a better quality of life.
Change from baseline at 3 months and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Level of Person-Centredness assessed by using a Patient-Administered Questionnaire at the initial consult with the patient with intermittent claudication in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed.
Time Frame: During the initial consult with the patient with intermittent claudication in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed. This moment varies between the date of inclusion to three weeks after the date of inclusion.
The used questions are part of the 36-item patient-centered primary care (PCPC) instrument.This Dutch instrument is specifically developed to assess person centered care in primary care setting for patients with multimorbidity. The complete PCPC instrument consists of 36 items divided over eight domains which are based on the eight dimensions of person centered care identified by the Picker Institute. For this study, the seven questions which form the subdomain 'Patients' preferences' are used. For example, patients will be asked if they felt taken seriously, if their wishes and preferences were taken into account and if they were involved in decisions about their treatment. Each of the seven questions will be responded by a five-point scale ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 5 (totally agree) resulting in a total score between 7 and 35.
During the initial consult with the patient with intermittent claudication in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed. This moment varies between the date of inclusion to three weeks after the date of inclusion.
Level of Shared Decision Making (SDM) assessed by scoring video-records of clinical consultations with the Observer Patient Involvement (OPTION) 5 scale at the initial consult with the patient in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed.
Time Frame: During the initial consult with the patient with intermittent claudication in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed. This moment varies between the date of inclusion to three weeks after the date of inclusion.
The five items of the OPTION-5 are based on the five core dimensions of SDM: alternate options (item 1), forming a partnership (item 2), inform about options (item 3), eliciting preferences (item 4), and integrate preferences (item 5). Each item will be scored on a five-point Likert scale from 0 (no effort) to 4 (exemplary effort) to obtain objective data of the SDM process. Item scores will be summed so that the potential total score is between 0 and 20. The total score will be rescaled to lie between 0 and 100.
During the initial consult with the patient with intermittent claudication in which treatment goals and treatment plan are discussed. This moment varies between the date of inclusion to three weeks after the date of inclusion.

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perceived barriers and facilitators to (not) use KomPas+ in the physiotherapeutic treatment of patients with intermittent claudication using a qualitative assessment.
Time Frame: Between six and twelve months after the start of the implementation of KomPas+
Semi-structured interviews within the experimental group. Both therapists who did use and did not use KomPas+ will be interviewed. The purpose will be to gain insight into why therapists did (not) use KomPas+, and therefore uncover ways to improve the uptake of using KomPas+ in the treatment of patients with intermittent claudication.
Between six and twelve months after the start of the implementation of KomPas+
The degree of implementation of KomPas+ in terms of reach and demand measured by website logs (demand) and the use of KomPas+ (reach).
Time Frame: After the 4-month inclusion period
Within the experimental group, website logs will show how many therapists completed multiple e-learnings aimed at (learning to use) KomPas+ (demand). Besides, it will be measured for how many newly referred patients KomPas+ is used during the inclusion period of the study, versus the number of new patients for which KomPas+ was not used. The difference gives an indication of the scope of the implementation (reach).
After the 4-month inclusion period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Radboud University Medical Center

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
Chronisch ZorgNet
Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie
Vereniging van Oefentherapeuten Cesar en Mensendieck
Harteraad

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Thomas Hoogeboom, PhD, Radboud university medical center, IQ healthcare

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 4, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 4, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 18, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 31, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 9, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 29, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 21, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2021-13373

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data sets for publications related to the topic of this study will be published under restricted access. Publications will be made visible through the Radboud Repository including metadata describing the properties of the data. To access the data, a request needs to be submitted.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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