Physical Therapists - Recommending EnhanceFitness to Expand Reach

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2015-01-31

Study Completion Date

2019-09-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The goal of the study is to develop and test an intervention toolkit to increase the enrollment in EnhanceFitness (an evidence-based group physical activity program for older adults) at Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) sites through physical therapist referrals.

A cluster-randomized trial will be used to compare current and intervention toolkit approaches to generating enrollment in EnhanceFitness at YMCAs. The objective of this trial is to compare the effectiveness and cost of the current approach for generating enrollment in EnhanceFitness ("business as usual" or "control arm") with the intervention toolkit that YMCA staff will use to engage physical therapists to refer their older adult patients to EnhanceFitness (the "intervention").

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Enhancing Independence Using Group-based Community Interventions for Healthy AGing in Elders: the ENGAGE Pilot Study

NCT03430271

Mobility Limitation

COMPLETED NA

The Engaged4Life Study: Enhancing the Health-Promoting Effects of Older Adults' Activity Portfolios

NCT03337204

Sedentary Lifestyle

COMPLETED NA

Implementing and Evaluating the Integration of Physical Activity Into a Major Health System and Connecting Patients to Physical Activity Programs.

NCT06073041

Chronic Disease Exercise Physical Activity

COMPLETED NA

Web-based Physical Activity Intervention to Promote Physical Activity

NCT05803304

Cardiovascular Diseases

COMPLETED NA

Wheelchair User Physical Activity Training Intervention to Enhance Cardiometabolic Health

NCT06013046

Physical Disability

RECRUITING NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

One of the greatest challenges the public health community faces is increasing the adoption of evidence-based, health-promoting behaviors and practices. This is particularly true in the areas of chronic disease prevention and healthy aging. Of the 10 leading health indicators for Healthy People 2020, five are related to healthy aging (immunization, maintaining a healthy weight, mental health, physical activity, and avoiding tobacco use) and can be improved through participation in evidence-based programs.

Enhance®Fitness (EF) is a community-based physical-activity program that has demonstrated physical, social and emotional benefits for older adults and is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Arthritis Program. In 2012, YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) made delivery of EF to older adults one of its highest strategic priorities. Y-USA is currently implementing EF at YMCAs in 22 states, with plans to continue expanding the program throughout its national network.

Older adults value provider recommendations of community-based programs like EF and are much more likely to participate if a provider recommends that they do so. Previous studies show that primary-care providers (such as physicians and nurses) are eager to find effective physical-activity programs for older patients and willing to recommend these programs. Much less is known about how to facilitate recommendations by physical therapists, who have frequent and intensive contact with older adults, and may be better positioned to make referrals to physical activity programs than primary care providers due to longer appointment times and other factors.

The goal of the study is to develop and test an intervention toolkit to increase the enrollment in EF YMCA sites through physical therapist referrals. The investigators conducted interviews with YMCA staff who manage the delivery of EF in their associations. The objective of these interviews with YMCA staff was to inform the content of the intervention toolkit. The interviews focused on the YMCA staff members' experience with evidence-based programs, their current provider outreach approaches and sites, and their beliefs about what they hope to get out of increased referrals for EF from physical therapists. Similar interviews were conducted with physical therapists across the country to gather data about components of referral practices, attitudes regarding recommending EF, and the logistics of how YMCA associations can best work with providers across the country to disseminate information about EF.

The investigators used this information to develop the intervention, which consists of a toolkit for YMCA staff to use to engage physical therapists to refer their suitable clients to EF at a YMCA. A cluster-randomized trial will be used to compare the effectiveness and cost for generating enrollment in EF of the current approach ("business as usual" or "control arm") and the intervention toolkit that YMCA staff will use to engage physical therapists to refer their older adult patients to EF (the "intervention").

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Physical Activity Aging

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Cluster-randomized trial

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Intervention

Receives PT-REFER Capacity-building toolkit to facilitate partnership building with physical therapists

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

PT-REFER Capacity-building Toolkit

Intervention Type OTHER

1. Written guidelines for building partnerships with physical therapists. Information includes information on who to contact, how to contact them, and how to present information about the program (e.g., evidence base, program structure)
2. Support from Change Agent
3. Technical Assistance Calls

Control

Does not receive PT-REFER Capacity-building toolkit to guide partnership building, instead conducting business as usual.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

PT-REFER Capacity-building Toolkit

1. Written guidelines for building partnerships with physical therapists. Information includes information on who to contact, how to contact them, and how to present information about the program (e.g., evidence base, program structure)
2. Support from Change Agent
3. Technical Assistance Calls

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Eligible YMCA Associations are those that (1) currently operate one or more EF class, either in a YMCA branch or in a community setting, and (2) have two or more YMCA branches within their YMCA Association.