Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
140 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2026-02-01
2030-01-01
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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This lack of physical activity in the hospital generates major personal and societal costs. Each day a patient spends in the hospital increases their risk of functional decline and loss of muscle mass, which older adults can find difficult or impossible to restore in the post-acute period. Hospital associated deconditioning increases the length of hospital stays, and increases the susceptibility of patients to delirium, falls, and re-admission. Such complications ultimately increase health care costs. Therefore, there is a significant unmet need to identify strategies to increase older patients' physical activity while minimizing staff burden.
The overall objective of this proposed project is to explore the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a virtual reality physical activity intervention to engage older adults in physical activity and maintain physical function and mental health during their hospital stay. This quasi-experimental study has two aims.
Primary) Aim 1: Using the NIH Behavior Change consortium guidelines, the Acceptability/Appropriateness of Intervention Measure, the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and semi-structured individual interviews, determine the feasibility of a virtual reality intervention among hospitalized older adults.
Aim 2: Test the preliminary efficacy of the PAVE intervention on 1) time spent in physical activity during the hospital stay, 2) maintenance of physical function, and 3) maintenance of mental health, compared to the education only control group.
Hypothesis 2.1. Patients exposed to the PAVE intervention will demonstrate more time spent in physical activity (MotionWatch, Modified Physical Activity Vital Sign) during their hospital stay, when compared to those exposed to the education control, controlling for appropriate covariates.
Hypothesis 2.2. Patients exposed to the PAVE intervention will better maintain their physical function throughout their hospital stay (Barthel Index, UMove), when compared to those exposed to the education control, controlling for appropriate covariates.
Hypothesis 2.3. Patients exposed to the PAVE intervention will better maintain their mental health throughout their hospital stay (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Reslience Scale), when compared to those exposed to the education control, controlling for appropriate covariates.
Conditions
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Study Design
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NON_RANDOMIZED
SEQUENTIAL
PREVENTION
NONE
Study Groups
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PAVE intervention
PAVE participants will be trained to use the virtual reality headset and perform virtual reality physical activity throughout their hospital stay.
PAVE intervention
The commercial virtual reality app that will be used for the intervention, Supernatural, provides participants a trainer as they use their arms and legs (e.g., seated knee strikes) to smash targets to 500+ musical tracks. In this manner, this study employs fun as a motivator for exercise commencement and adherence while hospitalized. The research assistant will implement the intervention using the three-step approach including: (1) patient mobility screen, (2) orientation to the technology and intervention, and (3) ongoing assessment, adaptation, and motivation.
Education control
Education control will receive physical activity education using the NIH "Get Fit for Life" booklet.
Education control
Education control participants will receive and physical activity education using the NIH "Get Fit for Life" booklet.
Interventions
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PAVE intervention
The commercial virtual reality app that will be used for the intervention, Supernatural, provides participants a trainer as they use their arms and legs (e.g., seated knee strikes) to smash targets to 500+ musical tracks. In this manner, this study employs fun as a motivator for exercise commencement and adherence while hospitalized. The research assistant will implement the intervention using the three-step approach including: (1) patient mobility screen, (2) orientation to the technology and intervention, and (3) ongoing assessment, adaptation, and motivation.
Education control
Education control participants will receive and physical activity education using the NIH "Get Fit for Life" booklet.
Other Intervention Names
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
2. are 60 years or older,
3. their bedside nurse approves their physical activity participation in this study
Exclusion Criteria
2. they score 23 or lower on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment,
3. they have a diagnosis that could be worsened through virtual reality exercise (e.g., nausea, syncope, vertigo, upper extremity fractures/sprain/strain),
4. they have an attached medical device that decreases the safety of physical activity such as a nasogastric tube or continuous fluids running through a PICC line that cannot be paused, or
5. they are unable to follow commands or move their extremities against gravity during the UMove Mobility Assessment
6. they are unable to wear the virtual reality headset
7. they received the education control intervention or PAVE intervention during a prior admission
60 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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National Institute on Aging (NIA)
NIH
The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers
OTHER
University of Maryland, Baltimore
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Brittany Burch
Assistant Professor
Principal Investigators
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Brittany Burch, PhD, MSN, RN
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Maryland Baltiomre
Locations
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UMMC Midtown Campus
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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Gyasi Moscou-Jackson, PhD, MHS, RN
Role: primary