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  • Research Completed
Increasing and improving physical activity for patients with inflammatory arthritis
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Rheumatoid-Arthritis-6.0-1

Scientific Study Title:

Effectiveness of Online Physical Activity Monitoring in Inflammatory Arthritis (OPAM-IA): A New Model of Care

Start Date: 

  • January 2017

End Date:

  • Recruitment Completed in 2019

Research Category

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Linda Li
Senior Scientist, Implementation Science, BSc(PT), MSc, PhD, FCAHS

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Why do this research?

Reason For Research

Physical activity is important in managing arthritis.

Reasons for inactivity include motivation, exercise doubts and limited counselling.

To address the problem of inactivity, we will test a new program at improving physical activity among rheumatoid (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methodology

Execution of Research

OPAM-IA is a program that uses Fitbit Flex (wireless physical activity tracker) paired with FitViz (new application), and physical activity counselling to help people with RA and SLE be more physically active safely and at their own pace. Physical activity information will be collected by the Fitbit Flex and viewed through the FitViz by a physiotherapist to guide participant’s progress.

The OPAM-IA program consists of:

  1. A one-time group education session in the Greater Vancouver Area
  2. Using Fitbit Flex and FitViz app
  3. Online/telephone physical activity counselling.

Who is involved?

Involvement

Our team consists of 7 co-investigators, 6 research staff and 12 collaborators. Sixty people with RA and sixty people with SLE will be recruited. Eligibility criteria consists of:

  1. RA or SLE diagnosis.
  2. No previous experience in using any physical activity wearables.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups to either receive the intervention immediately or wait 2 months before getting the intervention. Participants in the Immediate Group will be asked to attend a group education session, use a Fitbit Flex with the FitViz app, and receive counselling by a registered physiotherapist. Participants in the Delayed Group will wait 2 months to start the same intervention. Throughout the study, assessments will be done at the beginning, and at the end of months 2, 4, and 6. These assessments include an online questionnaire and wearing another research based accelerometer for 7 days.

For more information, please view the OPAM-IA recruitment notice. If you are Interested in participating, you can click here to access our short screening questionnaire and contact the study coordinator.

Contact: Juliane Chien, Research Assistant
Phone: 604.207.4032 | National Toll Free: 1.844.707.4032
Email: jchien@arthritisresearch.ca

Related Publications

Li LC, Feehan LM, Shaw C, Xie H, Sayre EC, Aviña-Zubeita A, Grewal N, Townsend AF, Gromala D, Noonan G, Backman CL. A technology-enabled counselling program versus a delayed treatment control to support physical activity participation in people with inflammatory arthritis: study protocol for the OPAM-IA randomized controlled trial. BMC Rheumatology. (DOI: 10.1186/s41927-017-0005-4) 1:6, 2017. To access publication, click here.

Li LC, Feehan LM, Xie H, Lu N, Shaw C, Gromala D, JA Avina-Zubieta, Koehn C, Hoens AM, English K, Tam J, Therrien S, Townsend AF, Noonan G, Backman CL. Efficacy of a Physical Activity Counselling Program with Use of Wearable Tracker in People with Inflammatory Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arthritis Care & Research. (DOI: 10.1002/acr.24199; E-pub ahead of print) 2020. To access publication, click here.

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