Development, Validation and Evaluation of the Feasibility of the Observational Risk Assessment of Contractures (Longitudinal Evaluation) Tool: The ORACLE Study

NCT ID: NCT06042907

Last Updated: 2024-11-27

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

Total Enrollment

224 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-09-11

Study Completion Date

2024-10-01

Brief Summary

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

The Observational Risk Assessment for Contractures- Longitudinal Evaluation (ORACLE) is a risk assessment tool for contractures. The tool was originally designed and developed by a group of multidisciplinary health professionals within Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust (DHUFT). Bournemouth University and DHUFT sponsored a match funded studentship to establish the academic validation of the tool.

The results from the previously conducted studies (Phase One) as part of this project: (i) a systematic review of the literature and an (ii) online Delphi survey with field experts provided initial evidence for further development, content validity, and modification of the tool.

The current study (Phase Two) aims to establish the psychometric validation, acceptability, and usability of the modified tool through formal testing on adult care home residents in Dorset. It consists of two streams of work: Stream A aims to establish the psychometric validation by completing the ORACLE assessments on adult care home residents. The assessments will be performed by the care home staff. In Stream B, a realist evaluation will be performed to explore the usability and practicality of ORACLE with selected care home managers and staff who were involved in organising and completing the assessments on ORACLE respectively.

The results from this two-phase design will then inform further revisions of the tool if required.

Detailed Description

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

Joint contractures are described as any degree of reduction in the passive range of motion within a joint due to muscle or connective tissue shortening eventually leading to structural abnormalities within the affected joint. ). This can lead to further deterioration in limb and joint flexibility, mobility, and activities of daily living (ADL's).

It has been reported that the care home residents spend most of their time remaining sedentary. Reduced mobility or lack of physical activity adversely affects the residents' physical and psychological well-being of the residents, including reduced motivation to engage in physical and social activities, pain, increased risk of pressure sores, contractures, and physical dependency.

Structured risk assessments play an important role in referring patients to the appropriate health care practitioner and enacting early treatment strategies to reduce the risk of the condition progressing. However, there is a clear lack of a standardised, evidence-based measure that can actively identify the risk of contractures and trigger appropriate and timely referrals to healthcare professionals.

The tool, Observational Risk Assessment for Contractures- Longitudinal Evaluation (ORACLE) was initially designed with the aim to address the gap mentioned above by a group of healthcare professionals (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurses within Dorset Healthcare, Bournemouth Borough Council, Poole Borough Council, Dorset County Council, and Dorset CCG. The working party discussed the potential causes and factors associated with contracture development and/or progression based on their clinical experience and developed relevant themes to define the construct of the tool. The original construct developed underwent a series of transformations before a face-to-face consensus over a series of meetings to finally include eight items in the tool.

To establish the academic validation of the tool before widespread use and implementation, Dorset Health Care collaborated with Bournemouth University and sponsored a match-funded PhD Studentship. The PhD project has been structured into two main phases: Phase One: content validation and phase II: external validation.

Phase One:

In the first phase, first a systematic review of literature was conducted collate evidence on factors associated with contractures in literature. Based on the findings of this review, an online two-round Delphi consensus survey was designed and conducted with a group of purposively sampled 30 panel experts to determine which items were significant for inclusion in ORACLE. The collective data provided by the systematic review and Delphi survey was then used to further develop and modify ORACLE.

Phase Two:

The current study (Phase Two) aims to establish the psychometric validation, acceptability, and usability of the modified tool through formal testing on adult care home residents in Dorset. It consists of two streams of work: Stream A aims to establish the psychometric validation by completing the ORACLE assessments on adult care home residents. The assessments will be performed by the care home staff. In Stream B, a realist evaluation will be performed to explore the acceptability and usability of ORACLE with selected care home managers and staff who were involved in organising and completing the assessments on ORACLE respectively. The results from this two-phase design will then inform further revisions of the tool if required.

Conditions

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

Contracture Joint Contracture

Study Design

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

Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

• Care home residents aged 18 or above residing in residential and/ or nursing care homes located in Dorset.

Exclusion Criteria

• Adults receiving end of life care
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Bournemouth University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Hina Tariq

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Bournemouth University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Stratfield Lodge Care Home

Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Muscliff Nursing Home

Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Avon view

Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Highcliffe Nursing Care Home

Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Fernhill Dementia Home

Ferndown, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Branksome Park Care Centre

Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Colten Care-Newstone House (Residential, Nursing and Dementia Care)

Sturminster Newton, Dorset, United Kingdom

Site Status

Farway Grange Care Home

Bournemouth, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United Kingdom

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Bartoszek G, Fischer U, von Clarenau SC, Grill E, Mau W, Meyer G, Strobl R, Thiesemann R, Nadolny S, Muller M. Development of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based standard set to describe the impact of joint contractures on participation of older individuals in geriatric care settings. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2015 Jul-Aug;61(1):61-6. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2015.03.005. Epub 2015 Mar 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25937031 (View on PubMed)

Born CT, Gil JA, Goodman AD. Joint Contractures Resulting From Prolonged Immobilization: Etiology, Prevention, and Management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2017 Feb;25(2):110-116. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-15-00697.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28027065 (View on PubMed)

Fergusson D, Hutton B, Drodge A. The epidemiology of major joint contractures: a systematic review of the literature. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2007 Mar;456:22-9. doi: 10.1097/BLO.0b013e3180308456.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 17179779 (View on PubMed)

Forster A, Airlie J, Birch K, Cicero R, Cundill B, Ellwood A, Godfrey M, Graham L, Green J, Hulme C, Lawton R, McLellan V, McMaster N, Farrin A; REACH Programme Team. Research Exploring Physical Activity in Care Homes (REACH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2017 Apr 19;18(1):182. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-1921-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28424088 (View on PubMed)

Muller M, Fischer U, Bartoszek G, Grill E, Meyer G. Impact of joint contractures on functioning and social participation in older individuals--development of a standard set (JointConFunctionSet): study protocol. BMC Geriatr. 2013 Feb 21;13:18. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-13-18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23432774 (View on PubMed)

Offenbacher M, Sauer S, Riess J, Muller M, Grill E, Daubner A, Randzio O, Kohls N, Herold-Majumdar A. Contractures with special reference in elderly: definition and risk factors - a systematic review with practical implications. Disabil Rehabil. 2014;36(7):529-38. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2013.800596. Epub 2013 Jun 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23772994 (View on PubMed)

Skalsky AJ, McDonald CM. Prevention and management of limb contractures in neuromuscular diseases. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2012 Aug;23(3):675-87. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2012.06.009.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22938881 (View on PubMed)

Wagner LM, Clevenger C. Contractures in nursing home residents. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2010 Feb;11(2):94-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2009.04.010. Epub 2010 Jan 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 20142063 (View on PubMed)

Tariq H, Collins K, Tait D, Dunn J, Altaf S, Porter S. Factors associated with joint contractures in adults: a systematic review with narrative synthesis. Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Jun;45(11):1755-1772. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2022.2071480. Epub 2022 May 11.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 35544581 (View on PubMed)

Tariq H, Collins K, Dunn J, Tait D, Porter S. The Delphi of ORACLE: An Expert Consensus Survey for the Development of the Observational Risk Assessment of Contractures (Longitudinal Evaluation). Clin Rehabil. 2024 May;38(5):664-677. doi: 10.1177/02692155241229285. Epub 2024 Feb 8.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 38332642 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

45572

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id