Exercise is Medicine at Emory Seavey Internal Medicine Clinic

Summary

Implementation of physical activity promotion in routine health care delivery is low because of multiple barriers including insufficient health system support, care team coordination, and scarcity of community resources for referring patients and technology tools for sustaining lifestyle changes. This study is a pilot project to test the feasibility of implementing a physical activity promotion protocol, including routine evaluation of patient's physical activity levels and provision of educational material in the clinical workflow. Physically inactive adult patients with at least one documented cardiovascular disease risk factor will be invited to participate in physical activity intervention. Patients will be randomized to receive a wearable device or a smartphone app to objectively monitor their physical activity. Participants will be further randomized to receive automated motivational text messages, or a personalized motivational message, or no messages. Participants will be followed through the 12 week intervention period and an additional 12 weeks with no intervention.

Conditions

• Physical Activity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

App

The Microsoft Band app can be installed for free on compatible smartphones. The app can be used to track steps while the phone is with the participant (such as in a pocket). Participants can synchronize their device with the study app to give permission to share physical activity level with the study team. Daily physical activity will be tracked for 24 weeks.

BEHAVIORAL

Wearable Device

A Garmin vivofit 3 fitness device will be provided for free to participants randomized to this study arm. This wearable device tracks daily activity and gives reminders to move after an hour of inactivity. The battery lasts for one year and the device is water resistant. Participants can synchronize their device with the study App to give permission to share physical activity level with the study team. Daily physical activity will be tracked for 24 weeks.

BEHAVIORAL

Automated Motivational Message

An automated behavioral intervention will be delivered once weekly via an in-app motivational message, over the 12-week intervention period.

BEHAVIORAL

Personalized Motivational Message

A behavioral intervention will be delivered once weekly via an in-app motivational message adapted to each patient's personalized PA goal progression based on the previous week data from the smartphone activity app (Microsoft band) or the Garmin wearable device over a 12-week intervention period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Emory University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sharon Bergquist, MD · Emory University

• Roberto Felipe Lobelo, MD, PhD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-08-20

Primary Completion

2020-02-01

Completion

2020-02-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations