Expanding Exercise Programming for Veterans Through Telehealth

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Dec 16, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a new way to help Veterans who have arthritis in their knees or hips. The study is called "Expanding Exercise Programming for Veterans Through Telehealth," and it aims to see if a group exercise program delivered online is acceptable and feasible for Veterans who are not very active. Over three months, 50 Veterans will participate in this program through video calls, and for the following six months, they'll either receive reminders via text messages or additional online exercise sessions. Researchers will gather feedback through surveys and interviews to understand how well the program works and how satisfied participants are.

To be eligible for this study, participants should be Veterans who have been diagnosed with arthritis in their knees or hips and haven't been active lately. They must have visited a VA clinic in the past year, but certain health conditions or recent surgeries could prevent them from joining. The trial is currently recruiting Veterans aged 65 to 74. Participants can expect to engage in a supportive group exercise program designed to improve their movement and overall health, with check-ins scheduled over nine months to track their progress.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • diagnosis of symptomatic knee or hip OA
• • Veterans at Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Primary Care Clinics with at least one VA visit within the past year
• • physically inactive (add definition)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • No telephone access
• • hip or knee surgery or acute meniscus or anterior cruciate ligament tear in the past six months
• • recent hospitalization for cardiovascular/cerebrovascular event
• • serious mental health condition or behavioral issues precluding participating in group exercise
• • terminal illness
• • motor neuron diseases
• • severely impaired hearing, vision, or speech
• • non-English speaking
• • current participation in another OA or exercise intervention or lifestyle change study
• • other self-reported or study team/primary care physician deemed health condition that would prohibit participation in the study
• • no primary care physician visit in past 12 months
• • pregnant women
• • insufficient internet connectivity to participate in group telehealth