Randomized Clinical Trial to Improve Mobility After Hospitalization (MOVE_ON)

University of Pennsylvania

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Hypertension; Diabetes; Ambulatory Difficulty; Heart Failure; Mobility Limitation

Treatments: Behavioral: Social Support Gamification

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05736484

852338

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of using behavioral economic interventions (gamification with social incentives) to increase physical activity after hospital discharge to reduce incident mobility disability among older adults.

Full description

MOVE ON is a 2-arm, randomized trial enrolling older adults 50 years or older with a recent hospitalization for hypertension, diabetes, and mild-moderate heart failure. The 52 week trial compares a control group wearing a wearable activity tracker to the intervention group that uses the same device and receives a supportive social incentive-based gamification intervention. The primary goal is to increase physical activity after discharge from the hospital to reduce incident mobility disability associated with acute illness and to reduce acute and post-acute care utilization.

Enrollment: 350 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 50 years or older
• Admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Health System acute care hospital (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Chester County Hospital, or Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center) and discharged to home
• Able to ambulate independently

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to provide informed consent
• Does not have daily access to a smartphone compatible with the wearable device and is not willing to use a device that the investigators can provide participants' with
• Already enrolled in another physical activity study
• Low mobility score indicating that the patient is not able to walk distances greater than 1000 steps/day independently
• Any other medical conditions that would prohibit participation in a 6-month physical activity program
• Unable to complete the baseline period (must have at least 4 out of 7 days of step data with minimum step count of 1000 steps/day)
• Not willing to use the wearable device for the full duration of the study
• Enrolled in hospice

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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350 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) but no other interventions during the intervention or follow-up periods.Participants will complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study.

Social Support Gamification

Experimental group

Description:

Intervention participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) and will enter a game designed with behavioral economics concepts to address predictable barriers to behavior change during a 26-week intervention period. Participants will also work with a virtual health coach throughout the intervention period to increase their physical activity. At the end of the 26 week intervention period, participants will enter a 26 week follow-up period during which interventions will cease but passive data collection of step counts will continue. Participants will also complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Support Gamification