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App-Based Supplemental Exercise During Inpatient Rehabilitation Increases Activity Levels: A Randomised Control Trial

App-Based Supplemental Exercise During Inpatient Rehabilitation Increases Activity Levels: A Randomised Control Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12617001576314
Acronym
AERO
Enrollment
140
Registered
2017-11-24
Start date
2018-01-15
Completion date
2018-12-24
Last updated
2019-10-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Objective: To investigate whether an App-based supplemental exercise program in inpatient rehabilitation will increase activity levels and improve functional outcomes and be acceptable to participants Design: Single-centre, single-blind pilot randomised control trial Setting: Inpatient private general rehabilitation unit Participants: Up to 140 individuals admitted for inpatient rehabilitation over 3 month duration. Intervention: Participants will be randomised to receive supplemental exercise via an App (PTPalTM) on a tablet device additional to usual care or usual care alone. Main Outcome Measures: Total repetitions of each activity and time in supplemental exercise programs, participant satisfaction with App-based supplemental exercise. Secondary measures were 10 Metre Walk Test (10MWT); 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT); Timed Up and Go (TUG); total amount of inpatient therapy hours, Functional Independence Measure and length of stay assessed by a blinded assessor.

Interventions

Individuals admitted for inpatient rehabilitation will be randomised to either usual care rehabilitation program or to usual care with an App-based supplemental exercise program, delivered via an App downloaded to a tablet device (PTPal). The intervention group receive supplementary exercise program designed by their treating therapist and uploaded to PTPal and accessed via a tablet device in addition to usual care. Participants allocated to the intervention group were provided with a tablet de

Individuals admitted for inpatient rehabilitation will be randomised to either usual care rehabilitation program or to usual care with an App-based supplemental exercise program, delivered via an App downloaded to a tablet device (PTPal). The intervention group receive supplementary exercise program designed by their treating therapist and uploaded to PTPal and accessed via a tablet device in addition to usual care. Participants allocated to the intervention group were provided with a tablet device for the duration of their inpatient program. Both intervention and control group receive supplemental exercises but intervention group uses an app based program for delivery and monitoring of these exercises. Exercise programs for the intervention participants are individually designed by the treating therapist. PTPal is a care delivery App that allows clinicians and therapists to send participating individuals digital prescriptions of exercises, activities and surveys, directly to the a mobile or tablet device. Participants will have a de-identified login created by the research team and an individualised exercise program that will be uploaded to a Royal Rehab Apple iPad Air 2 that will be provided to the participants for the duration of their admission. The set programs for orthopaedic conditions will be designed by the principal physiotherapy researcher in conjunction with the treating physiotherapy team. Exercise programs will be indivdualised according to the patients' conditions. The time that participants log onto their exercise account, repetitions undertaken and difficulties encountered will be remotely monitored by the treating therapist and principal investigators. After allocation, the intervention participants will receive one session at the commencement of their program to learn to use the App and ongoing support to both groups will be provided, as needed, to the participants by the research assistant.

Sponsors

Royal Rehab
Lead SponsorHospital

Study design

Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Participants will be recruited if they are inpatients undergoing usual-care rehabilitation, aged over 18 years of age, able to consent, had been admitted for inpatient rehabilitation, and are willing to use or be educated on the use of the tablet device and have no medical contraindications to a supplemental exercise program. Eligible participants must be undergoing rehabilitation in any diagnostic category (orthopaedic, neurological, reconditioning). If the individual is unable to provide consent due to cognitive impairment defined as a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score less than 24/30, they will not be approached to take part in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Cognitive impairment Medical contraindication to supplemental exercise program

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026