Spinal Cord Injuries
Conditions
Keywords
Spinal Cord Injuries, Health Behavior
Brief summary
The SCI Virtual Coach study has developed an on-screen, human-like character that will provide support, education and coaching to adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) to aid in the prevention of serious secondary conditions like pressure ulcers. In a randomized controlled trial, participants assigned to the Coach intervention will have a touch-screen computer placed in their homes and be asked to interact with the Coach on a daily basis for 2 months. Participants will be asked to complete surveys at baseline and 2 months. The SCI Virtual Coach study aims to measure how accessible and usable participants feel the Coach is, as well as participants' adherence to the Coach's instructions. It will also gauge how effective the Coach is in changing self-care knowledge, health care behaviors, self-efficacy for self-care, and perception of social support in participants.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSCI Virtual Coach
Participants are given a computer with the SCI Virtual Coach program and are asked to interact with the Coach daily for 2 months.
Sponsors
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
Northeastern University
Boston University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Self-report of physician-confirmed chronic spinal cord injury diagnosis * Injured within the last 6 months -10 years * Speaks and understands conversational English * Lives within approximately 1 hour of Boston, MA
Exclusion criteria
* Moderate to severe cognitive impairment * Expected to live less than 1 year
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Standardized Usability Questionnaire | Report at 2 month exit survey | Evaluates the participant's self-reported experiences with the Coach on a number of characteristics, including ease of use, repetitiveness, and overall satisfaction. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health Education Impact Questionnaire - Skill Technique Acquisition | Baseline and 2 months | Self-report measure of the participant's feelings about their ability to do skin behavior tasks |
| Skin Care Behavior Compliance | Baseline and two months | Self-report measure of compliance with behaviors to prevent skin care problems that lead to pressure ulcers |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed