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IText For ICOUGH: Improving Ambulation of Surgical Patients Through Text Messaging

NCT03834428 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 37

Last updated 2019-07-16

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The investigators plan to conduct a study that evaluates if text messaging increases patients' adherence to ambulation (specifically reminding patients to get out of bed three or more times daily) which is one component of a protocol called ICOUGH, which is a mnemonic that stands for: Incentive spirometry (a breathing device that expands the lungs), Coughing and deep breathing, Oral hygiene (using a toothbrush for example),Understanding (patient and family education), Getting out of bed at least three times daily, and Head-of-bed elevation to prevent choking; each letter representing steps of a protocol developed at Boston Medical Center (BMC) shown to decrease lung-related complications of surgery. Other outcomes, including frequency of ambulation, pain score, number of visitors per day, head-of-bed elevation, education on importance of ambulation, and falls will also be assessed. The hypothesis is that a reminder text message to ambulate will improve these outcomes over time.

While beneficial to patients and health care facilities, the ICOUGH protocol is sometimes both difficult to implement and sustain at an acute care hospital, because: (1) patient motivation fluctuates and is the key determinant of patient ambulation (2) it relies heavily on nurses to both educate patients and then keep them accountable to the protocol, (3) an unfavorable nurse-to-patient ratio, (4) high inpatient turnover for elective surgical cases, and (5) an aging baby boomer population-a higher volume of older, higher- risk patients will require more time and attention per nurse. Therefore, utilization of text message reminders may promote better patient, family, and provider engagement and adherence to ambulation which can improve outcomes and decrease healthcare spending.

Conditions

  • Ambulation Difficulty

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Text Message Intervention

A text message will be sent once daily (between noon and 3p) to remind participants to ambulate at least 3 times each day while hospitalized.

BEHAVIORAL

ICOUGH protocol

Education will be provided about the ICOUGH protocol which includes: Incentive spirometry (a breathing device that expands the lungs), Coughing and deep breathing, Oral hygiene (for example using a toothbrush), Understanding (patient and family education), Getting out of bed at least three times daily, and Head-of-bed elevation to prevent choking.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Boston Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Pamela Rosenkranz · Boston University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-03-21
Primary Completion
2019-06-07
Completion
2019-07-13

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03834428 on ClinicalTrials.gov