Physical activity enhancing programme in patients with COPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The efficacy of a physical activity enhancing programme using activity monitors with set targets and feedback for enhancing physical activity levels in patients with COPD attending pulmonary rehabilitation.
IRAS ID
158349
Contact name
Leandro Cruz Mantoani
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 28 days
Research summary
Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) feel better and are less likely to be admitted to hospital if they can improve their fitness. Attending pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) - exercise training - classes has been shown to improve fitness and reduce hospital admissions. However, the effects of PR seem to wear off after a period of time. It is now possible to measure people’s activity using small devices called activity monitors which you can wear on your clothes. Some of these devices can have exercise targets set by a physiotherapist and can let you know when you have hit your target. We want to see if giving people who have been attending PR this sort of information about their daily activity will encourage them to keep fitter for longer. To do this we are going to carry out a trial where half the people get their usual care (the PR) and the other half get PR along with daily feedback on their activity using a special activity monitor (DirectLife). At the end of the study we will measure their activity and fitness to see if this has made any difference.
This study is funded by Philips Healthcare and sponsored by The University of Edinburgh. Patients with COPD referred to PR at Leith's Community Treatment Centre will be invited to take part in the studies. In the pilot trial, we will ask patients to wear simultaneously four activity monitors in different places (neck, hip and pocket) for one week (10 hours/day). The main study will randomly allocate patients to usual care or intervention. Both groups will receive the same PR programme they were referred to. They will wear the DirectLife over 3 months (including 6 weeks of PR). Intervention group will be coached through a website and will receive feedback on physical activity.REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
14/SS/1089
Date of REC Opinion
11 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion