Telehealth and Onsite Maintenance Exercise in COPD (COPD)

March 4, 2024 updated by: Shweta Gore, MGH Institute of Health Professions

Comparison of Telehealth and Onsite Supervised Maintenance Exercise Program for Adults With COPD: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to compare telehealth and onsite supervised maintenance exercise program for adults with COPD.

The specific aims of the study are:

  • To compare 8-week supervised maintenance program delivered onsite and via tele-rehab with no maintenance for patients with COPD following discharge from traditional exercise or physical therapy or onsite outpatient rehabilitation programs on clinical outcomes (dyspnea, exercise capacity, physical function, physical activity, and quality of life) at 8 weeks and 4-months post-intervention.
  • To compare the differences in dyspnea, exercise capacity, physical function, physical activity, and quality of life between an 8-week maintenance program delivered onsite and via tele-rehab at 8-weeks and 4-months post-intervention in patients with COPD following discharge from traditional onsite outpatient rehabilitation.

Participants in both intervention groups (onsite and tele-rehab) will undergo a baseline onsite assessment followed by an 8-week supervised exercise intervention either onsite or in a telehealth setting. Control group will receive biweekly check in calls, but no active intervention.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Random Assignment Participants will be randomly assigned using a web-based randomization service (www.randomize.net) to one of three groups: 1) tele-rehab where patient will be at home but will receive supervised intervention remotely, 2) onsite outpatient rehabilitation, and 3) control group, using a computerized random number generator to eliminate risk of bias during allocation.

Subject Enrollment Consent: Potential participants who express interest in the study will be contacted via a phone call by the study team to go over screening and to seek consent for the study. Pre-screening questions will be asked over the phone to confirm eligibility. The letter of informed consent will be read out during the initial phone call and participants will be asked to sign a copy of the consent form prior to their initial visit at the IMPACT Practice Center at MGH Institute of Health Professions via a RedCap link sent to their email. Any questions related to the study will be answered prior to getting a signature on the consent form (See attached consent form). Participants will be informed of the possibility of being in one of three groups. The study Investigators will be involved in obtaining consent. Control group participants will be offered an opportunity to complete an 8-week onsite or tele-rehab intervention upon completion of the study duration. Participants will be able to withdraw from the study at any point with no penalties or any negative consequences. Participation will be voluntary, and participants can choose to step out of the study at any time.

To enhance enrollment of participants from diverse and under-represented backgrounds, free parking will be provided to the onsite location at MGH Institute of Health Professions. For participants assigned to the tele-rehab group, who do not have the means to connect and participate in the intervention, will be loaned an I-pad for the duration of the study. In addition, all participants will be provided with a $50.00 gift card at the end of the study period for their participation in the study.

6. STUDY PROCEDURES

Following informed consent, all participants will undergo a baseline assessment at index date or time point 0. Since the recruitment will occur on a rolling basis, the time 0 will vary for participants.

Outcome Assessments (time 0-time 2)

All outcomes will be recorded at baseline prior to beginning of intervention (time 0), at the end of the study intervention at 8 weeks (time 1), and at 4 months follow-up (time 2) post intervention. Each participant (n=30) will start at time 0 with examination of outcome measurements at the IMPACT practice center at MGH IHP. Outcomes will be assessed by a study team member who will be blinded to the group allocation. Outcomes assessed will include the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale and the dyspnea rating scale for dyspnea, physical function measured by the 30 seconds chair rise test and the 10-meter walk test, functional capacity measured by the six minute walk test, physical activity measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and quality of life measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and the PROMIS Global Health Scale Assessment of inspiratory muscle strength will be performed using the maximal inspiratory pressure gauge (MIP). In addition, baseline vitals (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2) via pulse oximeter, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale at rest will be documented.

The training intensity will be derived from the distance covered on the six-minute walk test. Although participants completing the traditional onsite rehabilitation program at MGH are extensively educated and independent in self-monitoring their oxygen saturation through pulse oximetry, RPE and heart rate, these will be reviewed thoroughly during the initial visit with all participants. In addition to these outcomes, participants will be asked to report any planned or unplanned physician visits, emergency room visits, falls, and injuries. The number of sessions attended by participants will also be recorded.

All participants will receive printed educational resources from the COPD Foundation on 1) tips for living well with COPD, 2) Impact of smoking, and 3) COPD action plan including resources for disaster preparedness.

Following assessment of outcomes at baseline, participants will begin the 8-week intervention. Supervised visits will occur once every week for both the onsite and tele-rehab groups.

Interventions:

Participants in both intervention groups (onsite and tele-rehab) will receive a 60-minute supervised weekly exercise intervention. Interventions will be delivered by study team members that are licensed physical therapists or students under the supervision of these physical therapists. The study personnel will be paid to provide the intervention and/ collect outcomes. All participants will receive similar interventions as described in Table 1. The interventions received will be similar to standard clinical sessions, however participants and/or their insurers will not be charged for either the on-site or the telehealth interventions.

Each 60-minute session will be broken down into separate sections. These include a brief 5-minute training on inspiratory muscle training using a Threshold Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (IMT), Respironics Threshold PEP and 5-minute check-in a review of their activities during the week at home and any changes in symptoms as well as education on self-management of airway clearance and importance of maintaining regular physical activity. This will be followed by a 5-minute warm-up and 25 minutes of aerobic training in the form of walking, cycling, stair climbing, or NuStep (based on availability and patient preference). The training intensity will be derived from the distance covered on the six-minute walk test administered at baseline. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2) will be estimated based on previously published regression equations. Training will be performed at 60-85% of VO2 reserve and converted to walking distance and speed using American College of Sports Medicine walking equations for treadmill and overground walking activities or a corresponding rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 13-16 for non-walking activities (cycling, stair climbing). Aerobic training may be completed in shorter intervals if continuous training is limited by symptoms (e.g., 2 × 12.5 minutes or 3 × 8.3 minutes). This will be followed by 15-minutes of functional strength training focusing on the lower extremity muscles such as partial squats, sit to stand exercise, lunges, and step ups and downs.

Progression of exercise will occur each week as: increase in walking or stair climbing speed, increase in wattage of cycle ergometer and NuStep by 5-10% while maintaining dyspnea levels of 3-4/10 on the dyspnea rating scale and maintaining an RPE of 13-16. Functional strengthening exercises will be progressed by increasing number repetitions while maintaining the dyspnea rating scale at 3-4/10. Inspiratory muscle training will progress by 5% each week to maintain dyspnea levels of 3-4/10 on the dyspnea rating scale. If the progression in any of the components elicits dyspnea more than 4, the same training intensity will be continued for another week.

All participants will be encouraged to maintain a log of activities performed during the week.

Tele-rehab group:

Participants in the tele-rehab group will also receive the same intervention as outlined for the onsite group. The mode of aerobic exercise will vary based on availability (see table 1). The intervention will be delivered remotely via previously researched models using a tablet computer. I-pads will be provided to the participants on a need basis to take home for the duration of the study. Videoconferencing will be via Partners log in enabled Zoom videoconferencing software (San Jose, California, USA) that allows all participants to see and speak to each other. To ensure safety and understanding of equipment operation and the exercise program, the initial training session and establishment of the home exercise program will occur during the initial onsite visit in the clinic at MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Although participants completing the traditional onsite rehabilitation program at MGH are extensively educated and independent in self-monitoring their SpO2, RPE, and heart rate, these will be reviewed during the initial visit with all participants. Pulse oximeters will be provided to participants for the duration of the study.

Fidelity of the exercise training intervention for both groups will be facilitated through regular staff training, and audit of exercise prescription and progression, and assessment of participant engagement.

Control group Control group participants will only be seen during the outcomes assessments at the MGH Institute of Health Professions at times 0, 1, and 2, but will receive no active supervised intervention. Control group participants will go home with discharge instructions to maintain a home exercise routine provided to them at discharge. Bi-weekly check in phone calls from the study team will continue to ensure participant engagement in the study. During the phone calls, participants will be encouraged to keep a log of their weekly activities in a journal.

Data Collection The data that is collected from each patient will include participant demographics (age, sex, comorbidities, body mass index, race, education, work status, living situation (living alone or with partner/caregiver, in independent home or institutionalized), details of interventions provided each visit, log of activities performed during the week, outcome measures, and the number of sessions attended, along with any planned or unplanned physician visits, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, falls, and injuries.

Termination Criteria If a participant is to experience an adverse event during the course of the study, they will be terminated from the study until they receive medical clearance. Adverse events include any falls (with or without injury), hospitalizations, or unplanned visits to their physician for COPD related symptoms. If patient is unable to return to the study, any data collected up until time of adverse event will be included in study, and the adverse event will be noted. Any adverse events will be reported to the IRB. If patient is allowed to return to regular exercise, the event will still be noted and reported. Any changes in medication or medical status will be monitored.

Remuneration All participants will be given $50.00 in total at the end of the study.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • 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 Backup

Study Locations

    • Massachusetts
      • Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States, 02129
        • Recruiting
        • MGH Institute of Health Professions
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All adult patients 40 years and older with physician diagnosed COPD within 2 months of discharge following completion of a traditional onsite outpatient rehabilitation or physical therapy or exercise program for their condition
  • Meeting the COPD criteria of postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of less than 0.70
  • Able to walk independently with or without mobility devices
  • Able to complete a six-minute walk test at discharge with or without supplemental oxygen maintaining an oxygen saturation at or above 85%
  • Able to follow commands and instructions in the English language
  • Have ability to connect to the internet

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • Those with significant mobility limitations such as those with a history of stroke, neurological comorbidities such as Parkinson's disease or relapsing multiple sclerosis, or significant degenerative osteoarthritis, or any other joint impairments that compromise ability to walk independently with or without an assistive device.

    • Patients who primarily rely on a wheelchair for mobility
    • Patients with or without supplemental oxygen who are unable to complete a walking test without a drop in oxygen saturation to below 85% at discharge from traditional outpatient rehabilitation
    • Patients with baseline hemodynamic compromise, unstable angina, a recent myocardial infarction within a week, uncontrollable atrial fibrillation not managed with medications, advanced stage heart failure (New York Heart Association class 4), or those with mechanical circulatory assist devices for the heart such a ventricular assist device (VADs)
    • Inability to communicate in the English language

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control
Control group participants will only be seen during the outcomes assessments at the MGH Institute of Health Professions at times 0, 1, and 2, but will receive no active supervised intervention. Control group participants will go home with discharge instructions to maintain a home exercise routine provided to them at discharge. Bi-weekly check in phone calls from the study team will continue to ensure participant engagement in the study. During the phone calls, participants will be encouraged to keep a log of their weekly activities in a journal.
Experimental: Onsite Pulmonary Rehab
Supervised pulmonary rehabilitation including exercise training, activity counselling, and education provided onsite.
Participants will receive a 60-minute supervised weekly exercise intervention for 8-weeks.Each 60-minute session will be broken down into a brief 5-minute training on inspiratory muscle training using a Threshold Inspiratory Muscle Trainer (IMT), 5-minute education on self-management of airway clearance and importance of maintaining regular physical activity; a 5-minute warm-up, and 25 minutes of aerobic training. The training intensity will be derived from the distance covered on the six-minute walk test administered at baseline. Training will be performed at 60-85% of VO2 reserve and converted to walking distance and speed using American College of Sports Medicine walking equations for treadmill and overground walking activities or a corresponding rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 13-16 for non-walking activities. This will be followed by 15-minutes of functional strength training focusing on the lower extremity muscles, and 5 minutes of cool down with stretching exercises.
Other Names:
  • Onsite Maintenance Pulmonary Rehab
Experimental: Telehealth Pulmonary Rehab
Supervised pulmonary rehabilitation including exercise training, activity counselling, and education provided remotely using Zoom videoconferencing technology.
Participants in the tele-rehab group will also receive the same intervention as outlined for the onsite group. The mode of aerobic exercise will vary based on availability of equipment in patient homes. The intervention will be delivered remotely via previously researched models using a tablet computer. I-pads will be provided to the participants on a need basis to take home for the duration of the study. Videoconferencing will be via Partners log in enabled Zoom videoconferencing software (San Jose, California, USA) that allows all participants to see and speak to each other. To ensure safety and understanding of equipment operation and the exercise program, the initial training session and establishment of the home exercise program will occur during the initial onsite visit in the clinic at MGH Institute of Health Professions.
Other Names:
  • Telehealth Maintenance Pulmonary Rehab

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Exercise Capacity
Time Frame: At baseline
Exercise capacity as measured by the six-minute walk distance
At baseline
Exercise Capacity
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Exercise capacity as measured by the six-minute walk distance
At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Exercise Capacity
Time Frame: At 4 months follow up
Exercise capacity as measured by the six-minute walk distance
At 4 months follow up
Dyspnea
Time Frame: At baseline
Dyspnea measured on the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale score ranges from 0-4 with higher scores indicating greater shortness of breath
At baseline
Dyspnea
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Dyspnea measured on the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale score ranges from 0-4 with higher scores indicating greater shortness of breath
At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Dyspnea
Time Frame: At 4 months follow up
Dyspnea measured on the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale score ranges from 0-4 with higher scores indicating greater shortness of breath
At 4 months follow up
Physical Function
Time Frame: At baseline,
Physical function measured by the 30 seconds chair rise test
At baseline,
Physical Function
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of the study),
Physical function measured by the 30 seconds chair rise test
At 8 weeks (end of the study),
Physical Function
Time Frame: At 4 months follow up
Physical function measured by the 30 seconds chair rise test
At 4 months follow up
Quality of life measure
Time Frame: At baseline
Quality of life measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scale. Score ranges from 0-40, with higher scores indicating a more severe impact on a patient's life
At baseline
Quality of life measure
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of study)
Quality of life measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scale. Score ranges from 0-40, with higher scores indicating a more severe impact on a patient's life
At 8 weeks (end of study)
Quality of life measure
Time Frame: At 4- month follow up
Quality of life measured by the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scale. Score ranges from 0-40, with higher scores indicating a more severe impact on a patient's life
At 4- month follow up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Inspiratory muscle strength
Time Frame: At baseline, 8 weeks (end of the study), and at 4 months follow up
Inspiratory muscle strength assessed via the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)
At baseline, 8 weeks (end of the study), and at 4 months follow up
Inspiratory muscle strength
Time Frame: At baseline
Inspiratory muscle strength assessed via the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)
At baseline
Inspiratory muscle strength
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Inspiratory muscle strength assessed via the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)
At 8 weeks (end of the study)
Physical activity
Time Frame: At baseline
Physical activity measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
At baseline
Physical activity
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of study)
Physical activity measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
At 8 weeks (end of study)
Physical activity
Time Frame: At 4 months follow up
Physical activity measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)
At 4 months follow up
Participants adherence to the program
Time Frame: 8 weeks
number of sessions attended
8 weeks
Healthcare utilization
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Number of emergency department visits or unplanned physician visits
8 weeks
Adverse events
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Falls and/ exacerbations
8 weeks
PROMIS Global 10 score
Time Frame: At baseline
Quality of life score. It is a 10-item patient-reported questionnaire in which the response options are presented as 5-point (as well as a single 11-point) rating scales. The results of the questions are used to calculate two summary scores: a Global Physical Health Score and a Global Mental Health score. These scores are then standardized to the general population, using the "T-Score". The average "T-Score" for the United States population is 50 points, with a standard deviation of 10 points. Higher scores indicate a healthier patient
At baseline
PROMIS Global 10 score
Time Frame: At 8 weeks (end of study)
Quality of life score. It is a 10-item patient-reported questionnaire in which the response options are presented as 5-point (as well as a single 11-point) rating scales. The results of the questions are used to calculate two summary scores: a Global Physical Health Score and a Global Mental Health score. These scores are then standardized to the general population, using the "T-Score". The average "T-Score" for the United States population is 50 points, with a standard deviation of 10 points. Higher scores indicate a healthier patient
At 8 weeks (end of study)
PROMIS Global 10 score
Time Frame: At 4-month follow up
Quality of life score. It is a 10-item patient-reported questionnaire in which the response options are presented as 5-point (as well as a single 11-point) rating scales. The results of the questions are used to calculate two summary scores: a Global Physical Health Score and a Global Mental Health score. These scores are then standardized to the general population, using the "T-Score". The average "T-Score" for the United States population is 50 points, with a standard deviation of 10 points. Higher scores indicate a healthier patient
At 4-month follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Shweta Gore, PhD, MGH Institute of Health Professions

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

September 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 4, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

March 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 12, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 4, 2024

Last Verified

March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

All identifiers will be destroyed and only aggregate data will be shared

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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