The Impact of Prehabilitation

Boston Medical Center (BMC)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Post Operative Complications

Treatments: Behavioral: Pedometer; Other: Preoperative education; Other: Text messages; Behavioral: Moderate aerobic exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06181253

H-42768

Details and patient eligibility

About

While numerous studies have assessed the promising impacts of prehabilitation, there is a lack of prehabilitation research within lower socioeconomic patient populations. Often for prehabilitation studies, patients are heavily involved in full scale exercise and nutrition programs weeks before the scheduled procedure. In underserved populations, programs such as these are often not feasible due to lack of transport, resources, and other barriers to healthcare. The investigators seek to evaluate the effectiveness of inexpensive interventions in lower socioeconomic populations.

The investigators hypothesize that barriers to prehabilitation are environmental and that prehabilitation interventions tailored for lower socioeconomic (SES) populations will improve time to discharge, mobility, and in turn, readmission rates.

The participants for this clinical trial will be seen four times: initially at the preoperative surgical clinic (6-8 weeks prior to surgery), 1-2 days preop at a pre-procedure clinic, postoperative in the inpatient setting (as soon as the participant is able to ambulate during their hospital stay), and in the postoperative surgical clinic at the postoperative visit. Patients will be within the general surgery, colorectal, and surgical oncology departments at Boston Medical Center (BMC).

The anticipated sample size is 60 participants (30 in the intervention/prehabilitation arm and 30 in the control/usual care arm). Participants in the intervention arm will participate in a mobility and step tracking intervention aimed at improving postoperative outcomes. The control group will follow routine standard of care at BMC for preoperative and postoperative care.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients within general surgery, colorectal, and surgical oncology departments at Boston Medical Center.
• English or Spanish speaking
• Able to ambulate without cane, walker, wheelchair
• Surgery scheduled within 4-8 weeks
• Must have cell phone with internet access and text message capabilities
• JH-HLM score of 6

Exclusion criteria

• Limited/non readers (less than 5th grade reading level), assessed via comprehension of consent materials

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Prehabilitation group

Experimental group

Description:

Watch a video created by the investigators, discussing exercise prior to surgery, receive text message reminders to begin exercise before surgery, and take walking tests before and after surgery.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Moderate aerobic exercise

Other: Text messages

Other: Preoperative education

Behavioral: Pedometer

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Receive the usual preoperative and post operative care and they will be provided a pedometer.