Lifestyle Intervention For Liver Transplantation

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Development and feasibility testing of a behavioural intervention targeting multiple lifestyle behaviours to improve long term outcomes following liver transplantation

  • IRAS ID

    190850

  • Contact name

    James Prentis

  • Contact email

    james.prentis@nuth.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    The Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT02696655

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT02696655, Clinicaltrials.gov

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Liver transplantation is associated with the onset of numerous health conditions including diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. The negative impact of these conditions upon survival is particularly prevalent in our post liver transplant population. As these conditions are often associated with lifestyle factors, they have the potential to be prevented or improved. Behaviour change interventions targeting lifestyle behaviours have shown to be effective for increasing physical activity and changing diet in a range of clinical populations. However, currently there is no intervention designed for use with liver transplant patients. Furthermore, clinical teams are often not trained to target lifestyle behaviours effectively in routine practice.

    Aim
    To develop and feasibility test a behavioural intervention that will target a range of lifestyle behaviours (e.g., physical activity/exercise, diet, smoking) in the context of liver transplantation.

    Intervention
    A multifaceted behavioural intervention (training for clinical teams and resources for patients) will be co-developed with patients, healthcare professionals, a designer and health psychologist with expertise in lifestyle behaviour change. Focus group discussions will be conducted to better understand skills/support requirements of healthcare professionals and patients and to inform intervention content. Once developed, the intervention will be feasibility tested in practice by patients and healthcare professionals and feedback will facilitate optimisation.

    Outcomes
    To determine whether the intervention developed is acceptable, feasible, usable and helpful to patients and healthcare professionals. Data will also be collected on specific risk factors to inform a power calculation for future studies as well as obtaining a preliminary understanding of whether the intervention could be of benefit.

    Future work
    If the intervention proves to be feasible and acceptable we will apply for further funding from research bodies to pilot the intervention on a larger scale.

  • REC name

    North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/NE/0144

  • Date of REC Opinion

    29 Apr 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion