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On-Track Feasibility Study of a Rehabilitation System for Stroke Patients

Feasibility Study of On-Track - a Digital System for Upper Limb Rehabilitation After Stroke

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03944486
Enrollment
24
Registered
2019-05-09
Start date
2019-08-13
Completion date
2021-03-31
Last updated
2024-03-12

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

Conditions

Cerebrovascular Accident

Keywords

Cerebrovascular Accident

Brief summary

Feasibility study of On-Track - a digital system for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke. Population - stroke patients over 18 years old.

Detailed description

TITLE Feasibility study of On Track - a digital system for upper limb rehabilitation after stroke DESIGN & METHODS Mixed methods Aims Assess the feasibility of 'On-Track' (a new arm rehabilitation system), for use by patients, and therapists in stroke rehabilitation services. OUTCOME MEASURES Various. (including functional and self-reported measures) POPULATION Stroke survivors, their family/carers, clinicians, professionals and lay people working with stroke survivors. ELIGIBILITY Participants will be stroke survivors, relatives/carers of stroke survivors, frontline healthcare workers who treat stroke survivors, managers responsible for stroke service provision and lay people with an involvement in stroke care/delivery. Participants will be over 18. DURATION 1- 2 years

Interventions

DEVICEFeasibility of OnTrack

Patients to use digital application- study assessed the feasibility of the application for patients and therapists.

Sponsors

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
CollaboratorOTHER
Imperial College London
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DEVICE_FEASIBILITY
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

* Adults (aged 18 or over). * Stroke diagnosis less than 6 months previously (first or recurrent). Some participants will be recruited from an in-patient rehabilitation ward, hence the 6-month poststroke limit. * Arm impairment of any type or level (including weakness-including dense hemiplegia, neglect and sensory deficits). This enables better understanding of which impairment level groups could benefit or not from using the intervention, especially considering the impact it may have on people's motivation regardless of their level of impairment. * Ability to provide informed consent. * Reliability to communicate (verbally or non-verbally) and understand English. * Ability to read a predefined short message.

Exclusion criteria

* Unstable medical condition. * Self-reported 'severe' pain in the arm affected either at rest or during movement. * Severe oedema in the arm affected by their stroke, judged by the consenting therapist. * Known discharge plans to a hospital other than the recruitment site or residential care in less than 7 weeks (a small proportion of patients in in-patient rehab may be in hospital for up to 12 weeks). * Participants who are unable to engage with the intervention for a period of more than 7 consecutive days will be reviewed in a case-by-case basis by the members of the team responsible for delivering the intervention to determine if study continuation is appropriate.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured InterviewsWeek 13Semi structured interviews will involve gaining patients opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of OnTrack. Interviews determine whether participants found the intervention easy to use and acceptable and if it is fit for their rehabilitation needs.
Number of Therapists Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured InterviewsWeek 13To assess the feasibility of the study design and procedures. Semi structured interviews will aim to collect therapists opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of On-Track.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)The MoCA is a brief cognitive screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting mild cognitive impairment. The MoCA uses a 0-30 score scale and defines impairment as follows: score of 18-25=mild, 10-17=moderate and \<10 = severe. A version of the test that can be applied remotely was used after the study went fully remote due to the Coronavirus pandemic; the remote version uses a 0-22 score and impairment as follows: 13-18=mild, 7-12=moderate, and \<7 severe.
Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test)Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)Albert's Test is a screening tool used to detect the presence of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in patients with stroke. In this test, a series of 40 black lines, each about 2 cm long, are randomly oriented on a sheet of white A4 size paper in 6 rows. The test sheet is presented to the patient at their midline. The examiner asks the patient to cross out all of the lines, and demonstrates what is required by crossing out the 5 central lines. The patient is encouraged to cross out all the lines until satisfied that they have all been crossed. If any lines are left uncrossed, and more than 70% of uncrossed lines are on the same side as motor deficit, USN is indicated.
System Usability Scale (SUS)Week 13The test is a simple, 10-item scale covering a variety of aspects of system usability, such as the need for support, training and complexity, and thus have a high level of face validity for measuring the usability of a system. The scale is from 0-100, a higher number signifies better usability.
Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short QuestionsBaseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a 10-item survey that assesses a person's underlying knowledge, skills and confidence integral to managing his or her own health and healthcare. PAM segments individuals into one of four activation levels along an empirically derived 100-point scale (0 min - 100 max, a higher score indicates a higher level of activation). Each level provides insight into an extensive array of health-related characteristics, including attitudes, motivators, and behaviors. Individuals in the lowest activation level do not yet understand the importance of their role in managing their own health, and have significant knowledge gaps and limited self-management skills. Individuals in the highest activation level are proactive with their health, have developed strong self- management skills, and are resilient in times of stress or change.
Modified Rankin ScaleBaseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)The modified Rankin Scale is the most prevalent functional outcome measure in contemporary stroke trials. The mRS quantifies disability using an ordinal hierarchical grading from 0 (no symptoms) to 5 (severe disability). A lower number indicates lower disability.
Visual Analogue Scale for Pain - QuestionBaseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)Ask patients to rate their arm pain on a scale of 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = unbearable pain)
Friends and Family TestWeek 13Asks patient if they would recommend the service they have just received to friends/family. The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. 5 point Likert scale questionnaire ranging from 1-5: 1 extremely unlikely, 2 unlikely, 3 neither likely nor unlikely, 4 likely, 5 extremely likely, an I don't know option is also provided. Higher values represent better outcomes.
EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life)Baseline, week 7, week 13Descriptive system using 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 5 possible values: 1 no problems, 2 slight problems, 3 moderate problems, 4 severe problems, and 5 extreme problems. Patient is asked to assign a value to each dimension. The digits for the 5 dimensions are combined into a 5-digit number describing the patient's health state. An index value is derived from the health state ranging from -0.285 (value of 5 on all dimensions) to 1 (value of 1 on all dimensions). Higher index values indicate better outcomes.
Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireBaseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)Structured interview intended to examine How Much and How Well the subject uses their more-affected arm outside of the laboratory setting. Standardized questions are asked about the amount of use of their more-affected arm (Amount Scale or AS) and the quality of their movement (How Well Scale or HW) during the functional activities. Two scales are printed on sheets of paper and are placed in front of the participant during test administration. Both scales range between 0 and 5 (half scores are possible, i.e. 0.5,1.5,2.5,3.5,4.5). Higher values represent a better outcome.
Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)The Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE) has been tested extensively, and is found to have excellent psychometric properties. It is considered to assess the body function according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FMA-UE is scored on a scale 0 - 66 points (a higher score indicates lower arm impairment) and is recommended as core measures to be used in every stroke recovery and rehabilitation trial.

Countries

United Kingdom

Participant flow

Recruitment details

Recruitment period: August 2019 - December 2020 Participants were identified and screened by therapists at an acute setting. Recruitment followed with participants beginning their participation at the acute setting and followed up in the community. After the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, participants were identified in the acute setting but only started participation once discharged to the community.

Participants by arm

ArmCount
On-Track
One arm feasibility study Feasibility of OnTrack: Patients to use digital application- study assessed the feasibility of the application for patients and therapists.
24
Total24

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicOn-Track
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
8 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
16 Participants
Age, Continuous61.133 years
Albert's Test2 Participants
EQ 5D 5L (Health related quality of life)0.462 units on a scale
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
23 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
1 Participants
Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE)37.7 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 17.2
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
post-Covid 19 restrictions
17.75 units on a scale
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
pre-Covid 19 restrictions
22.6 units on a scale
Motor Activity Log (MAL)
MAL (How much)
2.0 units on a scale
Motor Activity Log (MAL)
MAL (How well)
2.26 units on a scale
mRankin2.8 units on a scale
Patient Activation Measure (PAM)69.7 units on a scale
Region of Enrollment
United Kingdom
24 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
12 Participants
Visual Analog Scale for Pain0.8 units on a scale

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 24
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 24
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 24

Outcome results

Primary

Number of Participants Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews

Semi structured interviews will involve gaining patients opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of OnTrack. Interviews determine whether participants found the intervention easy to use and acceptable and if it is fit for their rehabilitation needs.

Time frame: Week 13

Population: Semi-structured interviews on participants who finished the intervention

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
OnTrackNumber of Participants Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews12 Participants
Primary

Number of Therapists Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews

To assess the feasibility of the study design and procedures. Semi structured interviews will aim to collect therapists opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of On-Track.

Time frame: Week 13

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
OnTrackNumber of Therapists Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews6 Participants
Secondary

EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life)

Descriptive system using 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 5 possible values: 1 no problems, 2 slight problems, 3 moderate problems, 4 severe problems, and 5 extreme problems. Patient is asked to assign a value to each dimension. The digits for the 5 dimensions are combined into a 5-digit number describing the patient's health state. An index value is derived from the health state ranging from -0.285 (value of 5 on all dimensions) to 1 (value of 1 on all dimensions). Higher index values indicate better outcomes.

Time frame: Baseline, week 7, week 13

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)
OnTrackEQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life)Baseline0.462 score on a scale
OnTrackEQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life)Follow-up 1 (week 7)0.585 score on a scale
OnTrackEQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life)Follow-up 2 (week 13)0.606 score on a scale
Secondary

Friends and Family Test

Asks patient if they would recommend the service they have just received to friends/family. The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. 5 point Likert scale questionnaire ranging from 1-5: 1 extremely unlikely, 2 unlikely, 3 neither likely nor unlikely, 4 likely, 5 extremely likely, an I don't know option is also provided. Higher values represent better outcomes.

Time frame: Week 13

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
OnTrackFriends and Family Test4.7 score on a scale
Secondary

Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)

The Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE) has been tested extensively, and is found to have excellent psychometric properties. It is considered to assess the body function according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FMA-UE is scored on a scale 0 - 66 points (a higher score indicates lower arm impairment) and is recommended as core measures to be used in every stroke recovery and rehabilitation trial.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

Population: Collection of this outcome measure was suspended after the study went to a fully remote delivery method due to the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. This outcome measure is not possible to administer remotely.

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackFugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)Baseline37.7 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 17.2
OnTrackFugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)Follow up 1 (week 7)39 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 20.1
OnTrackFugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE)Follow up 2 (week 13)36.4 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 22.4
Secondary

Modified Rankin Scale

The modified Rankin Scale is the most prevalent functional outcome measure in contemporary stroke trials. The mRS quantifies disability using an ordinal hierarchical grading from 0 (no symptoms) to 5 (severe disability). A lower number indicates lower disability.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackModified Rankin ScaleFollow-up 1 (week 7)2.5 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.8
OnTrackModified Rankin ScaleBaseline2.8 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.1
OnTrackModified Rankin ScaleFollow-up 2 (week 13)1.9 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 0.9
Secondary

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

The MoCA is a brief cognitive screening tool with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting mild cognitive impairment. The MoCA uses a 0-30 score scale and defines impairment as follows: score of 18-25=mild, 10-17=moderate and \<10 = severe. A version of the test that can be applied remotely was used after the study went fully remote due to the Coronavirus pandemic; the remote version uses a 0-22 score and impairment as follows: 13-18=mild, 7-12=moderate, and \<7 severe.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Remote test cohort - Baseline17.8 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 3.4
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Full test cohort - Baseline22.6 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 6.9
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Full test cohort - Follow up 1 (week 7)24 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 5.1
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Full test cohort - Follow up 2 (week 13)25.3 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Remote test cohort - Follow up 1 (week 7)19 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.9
OnTrackMontreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)Remote test cohort - Follow up 2 (week 13)18.3 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.4
Secondary

Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire

Structured interview intended to examine How Much and How Well the subject uses their more-affected arm outside of the laboratory setting. Standardized questions are asked about the amount of use of their more-affected arm (Amount Scale or AS) and the quality of their movement (How Well Scale or HW) during the functional activities. Two scales are printed on sheets of paper and are placed in front of the participant during test administration. Both scales range between 0 and 5 (half scores are possible, i.e. 0.5,1.5,2.5,3.5,4.5). Higher values represent a better outcome.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireBaseline - How Well Scale2.26 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.5
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireBaseline - Amount Scale2.00 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.4
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireFollow up 1 (week 7) - How Well Scale3.09 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.2
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireFollow up 1 (week 7) - Amount Scale2.94 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.2
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireFollow up 2 (week 13) - How Well Scale3.17 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.2
OnTrackMotor Assessment Log (MAL) - QuestionnaireFollow up 2 (week 13) - Amount Scale3.24 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.3
Secondary

Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short Questions

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a 10-item survey that assesses a person's underlying knowledge, skills and confidence integral to managing his or her own health and healthcare. PAM segments individuals into one of four activation levels along an empirically derived 100-point scale (0 min - 100 max, a higher score indicates a higher level of activation). Each level provides insight into an extensive array of health-related characteristics, including attitudes, motivators, and behaviors. Individuals in the lowest activation level do not yet understand the importance of their role in managing their own health, and have significant knowledge gaps and limited self-management skills. Individuals in the highest activation level are proactive with their health, have developed strong self- management skills, and are resilient in times of stress or change.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackPatient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short QuestionsBaseline69.7 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 17.8
OnTrackPatient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short QuestionsFollow up 1 (week 7)65.8 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 14.8
OnTrackPatient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short QuestionsFollow up 2 (week 13)68.1 units on a scaleStandard Deviation 10.3
Secondary

System Usability Scale (SUS)

The test is a simple, 10-item scale covering a variety of aspects of system usability, such as the need for support, training and complexity, and thus have a high level of face validity for measuring the usability of a system. The scale is from 0-100, a higher number signifies better usability.

Time frame: Week 13

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackSystem Usability Scale (SUS)84.6 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 13.1
Secondary

Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test)

Albert's Test is a screening tool used to detect the presence of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) in patients with stroke. In this test, a series of 40 black lines, each about 2 cm long, are randomly oriented on a sheet of white A4 size paper in 6 rows. The test sheet is presented to the patient at their midline. The examiner asks the patient to cross out all of the lines, and demonstrates what is required by crossing out the 5 central lines. The patient is encouraged to cross out all the lines until satisfied that they have all been crossed. If any lines are left uncrossed, and more than 70% of uncrossed lines are on the same side as motor deficit, USN is indicated.

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
OnTrackUnilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test)Baseline2 Participants
OnTrackUnilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test)Follow up 1 (week 7)1 Participants
OnTrackUnilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test)Follow up 2 (week 13)1 Participants
Secondary

Visual Analogue Scale for Pain - Question

Ask patients to rate their arm pain on a scale of 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = unbearable pain)

Time frame: Baseline, follow-up (week 7), follow-up (week 13)

ArmMeasureGroupValue (MEAN)Dispersion
OnTrackVisual Analogue Scale for Pain - QuestionBaseline0.8 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1
OnTrackVisual Analogue Scale for Pain - QuestionFollow up 1 (week 7)2.5 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 1.9
OnTrackVisual Analogue Scale for Pain - QuestionFollow up 2 (week 13)2.8 score on a scaleStandard Deviation 2.3

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 19, 2026