Physical Activity Following Pulmonary Rehabilitation in COPD
Condition: COPD; Physical Activity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this feasibility study is to identify the acceptability of an intervention
      designed to promote physical activity following pulmonary rehabilitation for individuals with
      Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Participants in the intervention group will be
      provided with pedometers and step diaries and added to a WhatsApp group with other graduates
      of pulmonary rehabilitation for 52 weeks.
    

Detailed description: 
      Evidence suggests that physical activity is not maintained following pulmonary rehabilitation
      for individuals with COPD. Peer social support, feedback about physical progression and
      recognition of opportunities to stay active following pulmonary rehabilitation have been
      identified as facilitators to physical activity following pulmonary rehabilitation. The
      proposed feasibility study has incorporated these factors into the intervention.

      This is a mixed-methods study including a feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial and
      a qualitative process evaluation. Clusters will be pulmonary rehabilitation programmes across
      Lincolnshire Community Health Services, NHS Trust (n=8), randomly allocated to the
      Intervention or Control. Patients in the Intervention group will receive a multi component
      intervention following pulmonary rehabilitation (pedometer, step diary and WhatsApp) and
      patients in the Control group will receive standard care following pulmonary rehabilitation.

      The primary objective is to identify and report the acceptability of the intervention for
      patients. The secondary objectives are to: 1) gather information on recruitment and consent
      rates of patients who are eligible and willing to participate, and to monitor retention of
      participants throughout the study; 2) understand the patients' and health care professionals'
      experience and views of the intervention and research procedures; 3) identify and report
      intervention fidelity throughout the study; 4) provide an estimate of likely changes in the
      proposed primary outcome for the full randomised controlled trial (average daily step count
      at 52 weeks following pulmonary rehabilitation) and other secondary health outcomes; 5)
      obtain the necessary statistical parameters to inform sample size calculations in a future
      definitive cluster randomised controlled trial. The results from the feasibility study will
      inform the design of a definitive trial, including whether the specific intervention has the
      potential to promote physical activity.
    

Intervention name(s): WhatsApp, Pedometer and Step Diary
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will be provided with a daily step diary and added to a group chat on WhatsApp. The group chat will be populated by other members of pulmonary rehabilitation programme (cluster) and the WhatsApp group leader will encourage participants to keep active. Participants will be encouraged to record the number of steps walked in a paper diary at the end of each day (i.e. prior to bedtime). This diary will simply have three columns: day of the week; number of steps; comments (optional).
The intervention will last 52 weeks.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: COPD; Physical Activity; Pulmonary rehabilitation