Digital Osteoarthritis Care

Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) is among the most prevalent and costly diseases, with an estimate of $460 billion in all-cause medical costs. It causes pain and reduced physical function, and with no existing cure, the recommended first-line treatment is information, exercise and weight management if indicated. As the prevalence of OA is expected to increase in the coming years, exploring innovative solutions to maintain economical sustainable treatment in the future becomes a necessity. Telerehabilitation, technology which involves providing treatment through information and communication technology, regardless of the patient's geographical location, has shown its potential within cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions.

Virtual Training (VT) is a generic mobile health application used to deliver digital home exercise programs with text, audio and video support. Through a novel feedback system the therapist is able monitor the patients progress and pain level during exercise. This project aims to investigate, through a randomized controlled trial (RCT), whether the use of the VT-app is as effective as supervised exercise therapy in improving pain, physical function and disease activity in patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. In addition, the investigators want to investigate if the use of the app is more cost effective than supervised exercise therapy, whether the use increases adherence with first line treatment, and whether there are certain characteristics of the patients responding to the intervention.

Conditions

• Osteoarthritis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

OA school

Patient education according to guidelines, with information about e.g. disease progression, symptoms, treatment, exercise, self-care techniques and dietary information

OTHER

Virtual Training mobile health application

Individually tailored home exercise programs delivered through a mobile health application

OTHER

Usual care

Individually tailored exercise programs conducted in weekly supervised individual or group sessions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Dam Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• The Norwegian Council for Musculoskeletal Health

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Diakonhjemmet Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Anne Therese Tveter, PhD · Diakonhjemmet Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-06-01

Primary Completion

2023-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• Norway

Study Locations