Feasibility of a Web-based, Peer-supported Exercise Program for Patients With Hip and/or Knee Osteoarthritis
Condition: Osteoarthritis, Knee; Osteoarthritis, Hip
MeSH terms: Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Osteoarthritis, Hip
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In this project, a web-based exercise program is developed in co-creation between specialized
      health care, the Norwegian Association for Rheumatic diseases (NRF) and a group of
      experienced patient representatives. The project emerges from the evidence that exercise is
      recommended as first-line treatment for patients with chronic diseases like hip- and
      knee-osteoarthritis (OA). However, the number of patients in need of targeted exercise will
      increase considerably the next decades, and their treatment needs cannot be fully handled
      within the health care system. Development of innovative and effective treatment trajectories
      and follow-up strategies is urgently required. Peer-support is recognized as an effective way
      to increase patients' long-term adherence to exercise. Thus, patient-organizations may be an
      unutilized resource in support and follow-up of patients who need long-term exercise as part
      of their treatment plan. After discharge from examination in hospital, patients with hip/knee
      OA will be recruited to follow-up in a novel web-based, peer-supported exercise program, and
      the feasibility of the intervention will be evaluated.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study will be conducted as a pre-post single-arm feasibility study comprising 50
      participants.

      The main objective of the study will be to evaluate the feasibility of the web-based,
      peer-supported exercise intervention in patients with hip and/or knee OA.

      Specific research objectives are:

        -  to assess feasibility of intervention delivery, data collection, eligibility and
           inclusion/exclusion criteria and intervention fidelity

        -  to assess the responsiveness of relevant primary and secondary outcome measures

      In the feasibility study, all participants will be allocated to an intervention group,
      receiving a 12-week web-based, peer-supported aerobic exercise program including weekly
      motivational messages. Patients between 40 and 80 years of age that are not candidates for
      surgery will be recruited from Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

      To assess and evaluate feasibility, we will report on descriptive statistics. Responsiveness
      will be assessed using Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analyses.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): Participants will be offered to take part in a 5-hour Learning and Mastery-course at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, receiving information about the osteoarthritis disease, symptoms and the importance of exercise and physical activity. Participants will then be given a weekly web-based exercise program (12 weeks) consisting of three aerobic exercise sessions per week. The exercise program consists of five levels, and the participants will each week be guided to the most appropriate level based on their measured physical fitness level and the weekly exercise diary. The participants will at initial assessment at Diakonhjemmet Hospital be instructed to use Borgs scale to adjust exercise level. Based on the weekly exercise diary the participants will also get motivational messages by email.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: A pre-post single arm feasibility study
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Exercise