Cerebrovascular Accident
Conditions
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
Patients to use digital application- study assessed the feasibility of the application for patients and therapists.
Sponsors
Study design
Eligibility
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
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Participants Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews | Week 13 | 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. |
| Number of Therapists Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews | Week 13 | 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. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 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 13 | 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. |
| Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short Questions | Baseline, 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 Scale | Baseline, 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 - Question | Baseline, 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 Test | Week 13 | 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. |
| EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life) | Baseline, week 7, week 13 | 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. |
| Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Baseline, 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
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Total | 24 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | On-Track |
|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 8 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 16 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 61.133 years |
| Albert's Test | 2 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 |
| mRankin | 2.8 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 Pain | 0.8 units on a scale |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 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
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
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Number of Participants Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews | 12 Participants |
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
| Arm | Measure | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Number of Therapists Finding the OnTrack Intervention Acceptable in Semi Structured Interviews | 6 Participants |
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
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life) | Baseline | 0.462 score on a scale |
| OnTrack | EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life) | Follow-up 1 (week 7) | 0.585 score on a scale |
| OnTrack | EQ 5D 5L (Health Related Quality of Life) | Follow-up 2 (week 13) | 0.606 score on a scale |
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
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) |
|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Friends and Family Test | 4.7 score on a scale |
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.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) | Baseline | 37.7 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 17.2 |
| OnTrack | Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) | Follow up 1 (week 7) | 39 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 20.1 |
| OnTrack | Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) | Follow up 2 (week 13) | 36.4 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 22.4 |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Modified Rankin Scale | Follow-up 1 (week 7) | 2.5 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.8 |
| OnTrack | Modified Rankin Scale | Baseline | 2.8 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.1 |
| OnTrack | Modified Rankin Scale | Follow-up 2 (week 13) | 1.9 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.9 |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Remote test cohort - Baseline | 17.8 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.4 |
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Full test cohort - Baseline | 22.6 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.9 |
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Full test cohort - Follow up 1 (week 7) | 24 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.1 |
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Full test cohort - Follow up 2 (week 13) | 25.3 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1 |
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Remote test cohort - Follow up 1 (week 7) | 19 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.9 |
| OnTrack | Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) | Remote test cohort - Follow up 2 (week 13) | 18.3 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.4 |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Baseline - How Well Scale | 2.26 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Baseline - Amount Scale | 2.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.4 |
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Follow up 1 (week 7) - How Well Scale | 3.09 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.2 |
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Follow up 1 (week 7) - Amount Scale | 2.94 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.2 |
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Follow up 2 (week 13) - How Well Scale | 3.17 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.2 |
| OnTrack | Motor Assessment Log (MAL) - Questionnaire | Follow up 2 (week 13) - Amount Scale | 3.24 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.3 |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short Questions | Baseline | 69.7 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 17.8 |
| OnTrack | Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short Questions | Follow up 1 (week 7) | 65.8 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 14.8 |
| OnTrack | Patient Activation and Motivation (PAM) - Questionnaire 10 Short Questions | Follow up 2 (week 13) | 68.1 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 10.3 |
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
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | System Usability Scale (SUS) | 84.6 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.1 |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test) | Baseline | 2 Participants |
| OnTrack | Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test) | Follow up 1 (week 7) | 1 Participants |
| OnTrack | Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) (Aka Albert's Test) | Follow up 2 (week 13) | 1 Participants |
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)
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTrack | Visual Analogue Scale for Pain - Question | Baseline | 0.8 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1 |
| OnTrack | Visual Analogue Scale for Pain - Question | Follow up 1 (week 7) | 2.5 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.9 |
| OnTrack | Visual Analogue Scale for Pain - Question | Follow up 2 (week 13) | 2.8 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.3 |