Do PA Interventions Increase Acute Medical Inpatients PA Levels

NHS Trust

Status: Completed

Conditions: Acute Medical Unit; Physical Activity; Moving Medicine

Treatments: Behavioral: 'More minutes' conversation (Moving medicine); Behavioral: 'one minute' conversation (Moving medicine)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04383054

19AM006

Details and patient eligibility

About

Physical activity (PA) can help treat and prevent many physical and mental health conditions. However, many of the United Kingdom population do not meet the Department of Health's PA recommendations which is contributing to the high chronic disease burden in the UK population. Many patients who are admitted to acute medical wards have at least one co- morbidity. Inpatients on acute hospital wards do not routinely receive PA advice from healthcare staff. The investigators believe that patients could be encouraged to increase their PA level (PAL) during an admission to hospital.

Full description

The investigators have undertaken two previous qualitative studies that proceed this work. The first study found that patients were open to discussing PA during admission to an acute medical unit (AMU). In the second study patients thought motivational interviews focused on PA helped them increase their PAL. Although patients have reported that motivational interviews were beneficial in helping them increase their PA, this has so far not been assessed quantitatively.

The investigators plan to recruit 50-100 patients and randomise them into two groups. One group will receive a short PA intervention and the other a long intervention. The investigators will use the moving medicine online resource to structure both PA intervention. The 'one minute' conversation will be used for the short PA intervention and the 'more minutes' conversation for the long PA intervention. The investigators will measure the PAL of both groups at baseline and at two follow-up points (4 weeks and 12 weeks). The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire will be used to assess participants self-reported PAL. The data collected will be used to describe participants baseline PAL and the treatment effect of the two PA interventions. The investigators will also calculate estimated recruitment and retention rates. The results of this feasibility study will be used to plan a similarly designed powered randomised controlled trial.

Enrollment: 77 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Ability to give informed consent.
• Patients equal or greater than 18 years of age.
• Patients identified by ward staff as being about to be discharged from hospital over the coming day(s).
• Patients identified by ward staff as being able to walk 10m on flat ground, with or without a walking aid.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who do not understand verbal and written English.
• Patients who currently meet the Department of Health's current aerobic physical activity recommendations as assessed by the GPAQ.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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77 participants in 2 patient groups

Long PA intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The long PA intervention will be a MI (motivational interview) exploring the participant's knowledge and concerns about PA. An MI involves a semi-structured discussion between an investigator and the participant. The MI initially explores the participant's knowledge of the benefits of PA and their concerns about PA. The MI will then explore the participant's confidence in increasing their PAL, help the participant come up with a plan to increase their PAL and finally the participant will be signposted to further support and local opportunities for PA. The investigator will use a Moving Medicine 'more minutes' conversation tool of a chronic health condition that the patient has to facilitate every MI. Where possible the investigator will discuss the chronic condition that most relates to the participant's current admission to hospital. For patients with no health conditions the primary prevention section will be used.

Treatment:

Behavioral: 'More minutes' conversation (Moving medicine)

Short PA intervention group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The short PA intervention will involve a short (1 min) discussion between an investigator and a participant. A Moving Medicine 'one minute' intervention appropriate to the participant's health conditions will be used to guide every short intervention. The short intervention will firstly involve the investigator asking whether the participant knew that doing PA was beneficial for their health. The investigator would then explain to be more PA they could try to build more PA into their daily routine and that this was often enough to meet the current PA recommendations. The investigator will also offer the participant a patient information sheet about PA.

Treatment:

Behavioral: 'one minute' conversation (Moving medicine)