Enhanced Physical Activity Support in Congenital Heart Disease Clinical Care

Summary

Our cluster randomized controlled trial of a novel clinical practice change will IMPACT the physical activity (PA) of children living with congenital heart defects (CHD) through our

Innovative and pragmatic approach to systematically incorporate PA counselling within each clinic visit. Long-term, the focus is to prevent or treat the most common secondary morbidities of these patients (atherosclerosis, anxiety, depression) through enhanced PA. We have previously shown that home-based, PA interventions can increase daily PA and enhance PA motivation, motor skill and fitness when delivered via an intensive research intervention. Our objectives for this study are to

Measure the feasibility and efficacy of PA counselling using clinical resources among paediatric CHD patients (daily PA, PA motivation, competence, quality of life) and on clinic systems (% patients counselled, clinic/kinesiology personnel support required, clinic visit time, # of PA questions). Our

Patient-empowering, ready-to-use, self-explanatory "tool kit" of clinician PA resources and patient/family/clinician friendly searchable electronic PA database will be used to promote the

Active lifestyles that are critically important to physical/mental health, peer socialization \& childhood growth/development. 90% of children are not active enough for optimal health.

We initially target children with CHD because they are less active than peers, and their most important secondary morbidities can be prevented or treated through PA. Our

Collaborative approach with patients, their families and leaders in paediatric cardiac healthcare will optimize our "PA tool kit" and novel practice change for

Translation to all paediatric CHD healthcare systems (primary, secondary, tertiary) through our pan-Canadian Cardiac Kids Quality of LIFFE Research and Knowledge Exchange Network, a collaborative of 10 patient/family support networks and 10 paediatric cardiac clinics in 6 provinces focused on Learning, Independence, Friends, Fitness \& Emotional health (LIFFE).

Conditions

• Congenital Heart Disease

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Physical activity counselling

Clinician counselling about physical activity using standardized tools to promote daily physical activity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stollery Children's Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• London Health Sciences Centre

  collaborator OTHER

• CHEO Family Forum

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance

  collaborator OTHER

• Ontario Child Health Support Unit

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Patricia Longmuir, PhD · Scientist

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

5 Years

Max Age

17 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-03-05

Primary Completion

2023-05-31

Completion

2023-05-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations