Improving Adherence to Spinal Cord Injury Exercise Guidelines Using Smartphone Technology and E-coaching
Eligible age
18–80 yrs
Accepts
All genders
Locations
1 state
Healthy volunteers
No
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About this study
The goal of this research is to increase physical activity among individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) through a customized, interactive smartphone-based health app and e-coaching using three phases: (1) leading focus groups of potential app users and clinicians to gain information regarding health apps preferences for optimal consumer use, (2) conducting a usability study of the customized app to determine the quality and implement further changes for optimization, and (3) conducting a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) to determine the most effective adaptive intervention to improve exercise adherence. A SMART trial will be used to determine when and how to adapt dosage, timing, and delivery to increase adherence and address low-response behaviors. In Stage-I, the investigators will compare outcomes among participants using a generic, non-interactive exercise app (Group 1) to a customized, interactive app that can gain information through frequent Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA) that will be used to modify each participant's exercise programs (Group 2). After 12 weeks, participants who are not meeting the exercise guidelines at least 50% of the time will also be asked to participate in motivational interviewing-based e-coaching either two or four times per month in addition to their originally assigned intervention (Stage-II). By completing these three phases, this project addresses deficiencies in exercise levels and compliance by implementing an individualized exercise prescription, an adaptive intervention for low responders, a way to address barriers to exercise, and a free smartphone app for broad implementation.
Sponsor: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
You may qualify if…
- ✓ Individual with diagnosis of SCI, formal or informal caregiver of an individual with an SCI, or clinician that regularly sees individuals with SCI
- ✓ 18-80 years of age
- ✓ English-speaking
- ✓ Willing to download the study apps
- ✓ Individual with diagnosis of SCI, complete (only paraplegia) or incomplete, cervical C3- C4 and below
- ✓ 18-80 years of age
- ✓ English-speaking
- ✓ Use a wheelchair as primary means of mobility or walk with or without assistive equipment
You may not qualify if…
- ✕ Severe visual or cognitive problems that would affect the ability to complete the study
- ✕ Does not own, or is unable to use a smartphone
- ✕ Trauma or surgery in the past three months
- ✕ An active stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer
- ✕ Medically unstable to perform the home-based exercise as determined by Dr. Chen and his team, the evaluating physical therapist, or the participants' primary care physician.
- ✕ Unable to use at least one set of extremities to exercise
- ✕ Enrolled in a structured exercise program over the past three months
- ✕ Severe visual or cognitive problems that would affect the ability to complete the study
Where it's recruiting
Chicago
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05424172 · last updated 2026-05-11