Comparative Effectiveness Study Telerehab Versus Conventional

Summary

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of an exercise program delivered in a conventional facility-based format versus a telerehabilitation format, which takes place in the home. Exercise can improve mobility and perhaps decrease the rate and extent of disability in people with MS. Evidence shows that traditional, facility-based exercise training may help people with MS consistently participate in exercise or to exercise at a higher, more intense level. Despite this evidence, lack of access to facility-based exercise programs may make it difficult for people with MS to engage in exercise.Telerehabilitation (telerehab) has great potential to overcome challenges associated with facility-based programs. Telerehab can include videoconferencing, remote monitoring of signs and activity, and dissemination of specialized and individualized information via electronic mechanisms, such as smartphones and computers. Both facility-based and telerehab exercise training have yielded positive results in people with MS, but have not been compared head-to-head. The current study will fill this gap in the evidence base and compare the outcomes of delivering the same exercise interventions in a facility or in the home/community using a telerehab approach. The interventions are designed to be identical in content, with the only difference being the mode of training delivery.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise program for people with MS

The intervention consists of 30 minutes of resistance training and 30 minutes of cardio three times per week for 16 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alabama at Birmingham

  collaborator OTHER

• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Georgia

  collaborator OTHER

• The Cleveland Clinic

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Colorado, Denver

  collaborator OTHER

• Marquette University

  collaborator OTHER

• Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis

  collaborator OTHER

• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

  collaborator OTHER

• Tanner Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis

  collaborator OTHER

• Massachusetts General Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Shepherd Center, Atlanta GA

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Deborah Backus, PT, PhD · Shepherd Center, Atlanta GA

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-07-23

Primary Completion

2023-09-12

Completion

2023-09-12

Countries

• United States

Study Locations