Improving Outcomes Following Limb Loss: PALS Plus (PALS-PLUS)

December 12, 2017 updated by: Johns Hopkins University
Limb loss can result from a variety of etiologies including diabetes, trauma and cancer. Following limb loss, individuals are at elevated risk for activity limitations and participation restrictions with significant impact on health and quality of life. Intervention: Working with the Amputee Coalition of America we have developed, evaluated, and established the effectiveness of a self-management program (PALS) to improve health and outcomes following limb loss. Literature suggests that the access to, and effectiveness and utilization of, this class of interventions may be enhanced by the concerted use of early intervention, peer mentorship, motivational interviewing and provider training. Objectives: Our goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of an enhanced, early self-management intervention- PALS Plus. The specific aims are:1) evaluate the effectiveness of the PALS Plus intervention in improving outcomes for persons with limb loss; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the PALS Plus intervention in maximizing utilization of self-management interventions for persons with limb loss. A cohort of 200 patients will be enrolled prior to implementation of the intervention and will serve as the control group. Subsequently, a second cohort of 200 patients will be enrolled and receive the PALS Plus intervention and will serve as the intervention group. Assessment will be at baseline, treatment completion and six month follow-up. Outcomes: Primary outcome measures are: pain, depressed mood, and positive mood. Secondary outcome measures are: function, participation and bothersomeness of limitations. The investigation will also provide unique and valuable information regarding patients' acceptance and use of peer visitation and self-management following limb loss. Relevance: By establishing the utility and effectiveness of the enhanced self-management intervention, there is the potential to improve the health, activity, participation and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. The intervention addresses the areas of activity and participation in such a way that it can be implemented in local health care facilities working in combination with a national consumer based organization - the Amputee Coalition of America.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Limb loss can result from a variety of etiologies including diabetes, trauma and cancer. Following limb loss, individuals are at elevated risk for activity limitations and participation restrictions with significant impact on health and quality of life. Intervention: Working with the Amputee Coalition of America we have developed, evaluated, and established the effectiveness of a self-management program (PALS) to improve health and outcomes following limb loss. Literature suggests that the access to, and effectiveness and utilization of, this class of interventions may be enhanced by the concerted use of early intervention, peer mentorship, motivational interviewing and provider training. Objectives: Our goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of an enhanced, early self-management intervention- PALS Plus. The specific aims are:1) evaluate the effectiveness of the PALS Plus intervention in improving outcomes for persons with limb loss; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the PALS Plus intervention in maximizing utilization of self-management interventions for persons with limb loss. Study Design and Participants: The prospective clinical trial will use a two group, lagged-control design to evaluate the intervention at five health care facilities. A cohort of 200 patients will be enrolled prior to implementation of the intervention and will serve as the control group. Subsequently, a second cohort of 200 patients will be enrolled and receive the PALS Plus intervention and will serve as the intervention group. Assessment will be at baseline, treatment completion and six month follow-up. Outcomes: Primary outcome measures are: pain, depressed mood, and positive mood. Secondary outcome measures are: function, participation and bothersomeness of limitations. Improvements in primary and secondary outcomes will result through the impact on self efficacy, patient activation, catastrophizing and social support. The investigation will also provide unique and valuable information regarding patients' acceptance and use of peer visitation and self-management following limb loss. Relevance: By establishing the utility and effectiveness of the enhanced self-management intervention, there is the potential to improve the health, activity, participation and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. The intervention addresses the areas of activity and participation in such a way that it can be implemented in local health care facilities working in combination with a national consumer based organization - the Amputee Coalition of America.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

400

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21239
        • Good Samaritan Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults (aged 18-85 years) of both sexes and all races admitted to one of the seven participating acute care hospitals or rehabilitation facilities for an amputation procedure and/or treatment immediately following an amputation procedure, including traumatic amputations as well as amputations due to complications for diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, and malignancy.
  • Women and minority patients will be represented in the trial according to the gender and race/ethnic prevalence of patients receiving treatment at the designated hospital and rehabilitation centers.

Exclusion Criteria:

Criteria for exclusion from the study will include:

  • Age less than 18 or over 85 years; and
  • Inability to communicate in written or spoken English.

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Primary outcome measures are: pain, depressed mood, and positive mood.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Secondary outcome measures are: function, participation and bothersomeness of limitations

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Stephen T Wegener, PHD, Johns Hopkins University

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

March 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 14, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

March 15, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

December 13, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 12, 2017

Last Verified

December 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CDC R01DD000153

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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