Geotagged Social Networking for Physical Disabilities

(RECTECHIV Trial)

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Recruiting

Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Disqualifiers: Cognitive problems, Cardiovascular event, Severe pulmonary, others

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new online resource called RecTech Match, designed to help people with physical disabilities find accessible exercise opportunities. The goal is to reduce barriers and increase physical activity by providing tailored resources and support.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Geotagged Social Networking for Physical Disabilities?

Crowdsourcing, which is a key component of this treatment, has been shown to improve patient-centered care by quickly generating ideas and solutions tailored to individual needs, potentially leading to better clinical outcomes. Additionally, social networking platforms have been effective in allowing patients to share experiences and outcomes, which can help in understanding and managing health conditions. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the treatment 'Geotagged Social Networking for Physical Disabilities' differ from other treatments for physical disabilities?

This treatment is unique because it uses a person-centered geotagged social networking system to enhance accessibility and social participation for people with physical disabilities. It leverages crowdsourcing principles to map accessible routes and locations, allowing users to share and access real-time information about accessibility, which is not typically available in standard treatments for physical disabilities. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Research Team

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for people aged 18 to 64 with a self-reported physical disability that limits their mobility. It's not suitable for those who have trouble understanding instructions due to cognitive or linguistic issues, are currently pregnant, had a recent cardiovascular event, have severe pulmonary disease or renal failure, or any health condition exacerbation.

Inclusion Criteria

I have a physical disability that limits my ability to move around.

I am between 18 and 64 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently experiencing a worsening of my health condition.

Currently pregnant

Cognitive or linguistic problems with understanding instructions or filling in self-administered outcome measures

Trial Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Baseline assessments are completed by all participants before randomization

1 week

Treatment

Participants receive either the RecTech Match intervention with tele-coaching support or access to generic information on the NCHPAD website

12 weeks

Weekly calls for the first 6 weeks, bi-weekly calls for the next 6 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for feedback and outcomes post-intervention

12 weeks

Survey packets delivered at 12 and 24 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Crowdsourcing Principles (Behavioural Intervention)
• Person-Centered Geotagged Social Networking System (Behavioural Intervention)
• RecTech Match Website (Behavioural Intervention)

Trial Overview The trial is testing the RecTech Match Website – a social networking system designed to help individuals with physical disabilities find accessible community-based exercise and recreation programs by overcoming various barriers.

Participant Groups

Group I: intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The intervention group will be mailed a Fitbit device and provided access to the RecTech Match website. Intervention participants will receive weekly calls for the first 6 weeks, and a call every other week for the following 6 weeks (9 in total) from a health coach to discuss progress, facilitate setting physical activity goals, and help mitigate obstacles to participate in physical activity in the community. Participants will be free to access the features and resources of the website. The Fitbit data will be collected on an ongoing basis and the participants will receive daily texts asking them to rate the amount of physical activity for the day.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The control participants will not have access to the RecTech Match website; however, control participants will be directed to generic information available on the NCHPAD website, which includes the same information but is not delivered through RecTechMatch.com.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,677

Recruited

2,458,000+

Kierstin Kennedy

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Chief Medical Officer since 2022

MD

S. Dawn Bulgarella

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

BSc in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama, MS in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham

Findings from Research

Social networking sites are transforming how patients communicate about diseases and treatments, allowing for easier sharing of experiences and support among patients and caregivers.

The authors propose a new definition of patient-reported information (PRI) that goes beyond traditional patient-reported outcomes (PRO), suggesting that this emergent data can significantly influence healthcare decision-making at both individual and population levels.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient-reported outcomes, patient-reported information: from randomized controlled trials to the social web and beyond. Baldwin, M., Spong, A., Doward, L., et al.[2021]

Crowdsourcing leverages the collective intelligence of online communities and has the potential to significantly enhance public health initiatives, although its full capabilities have not yet been fully utilized in this field.

The paper outlines four specific crowdsourcing approaches—knowledge discovery, distributed human intelligence tasking, broadcast search, and peer-vetted creative production—highlighting various applications that could improve public health science and practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Crowdsourcing applications for public health. Brabham, DC., Ribisl, KM., Kirchner, TR., et al.[2022]

Involving patients with low back pain in identifying research topics is feasible using both a patient registry and an online crowdsourcing platform, with each method yielding valuable insights into research priorities.

Both approaches highlighted a preference for research topics focused on diagnosis and treatment, indicating that patient-centered research can effectively guide future studies in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prioritizing research topics: a comparison of crowdsourcing and patient registry. Truitt, AR., Monsell, SE., Avins, AL., et al.[2018]

A study involving 7593 self-reported patients with Crohn's disease used an AI platform to analyze treatment effectiveness, finding that infliximab (IFX) was the most effective treatment, followed by bowel surgery and adalimumab (ADA).

The research highlights the potential of crowdsourcing and AI in gathering patient-reported outcomes, which can assist both patients and clinicians in making informed treatment decisions for chronic conditions like Crohn's disease.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported treatment effectiveness for Crohn's disease using a novel crowdsourcing web-based platform. Engel, T., Dotan, E., Synett, Y., et al.[2023]

Crowdsourcing (CS) can enhance patient-centered care (PCC) by allowing patients to contribute their ideas and perspectives, which can lead to better health policy decisions and improved clinical outcomes.

While CS is a cost-effective and quick method for gathering insights, it also has potential pitfalls such as bias and data quality issues, which health professionals need to be aware of to ensure effective implementation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The potential of crowdsourcing to improve patient-centered care. Weiner, M.[2022]

The EasenAccess app is designed to empower people with disabilities (PwD) by providing wheelchair-accessibility information, communication tools, and SOS signals, enhancing their independence and mobility in urban environments like New Delhi.

The app not only aids PwD in navigating their surroundings but also serves as a valuable resource for the government to identify and improve accessibility gaps, thereby facilitating better rehabilitation and support services for wheelchair users.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Accessibility information in New Delhi for "EasenAccess" Android-based app for persons with disability: an observational study. Agarwal, Y.[2021]

The study introduces a new geospatial assistive navigation technology aimed at improving mobility for people with disabilities, particularly those using manual wheelchairs in urban settings.

This technology addresses the limitations of traditional urban design, which often overlooks the needs of individuals with disabilities, thereby enhancing their social participation and mobility in city environments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Novel Geospatial Assistive Navigation Technology for Seamless Multimodal Mobility of Wheelchair Users. Mostafavi, MA., Bahloul, M., Boucher, N., et al.[2023]

A new questionnaire, the Evaluation of Satisfaction with Geospatial Assistive Technology (ESGAT), was developed and validated to assess satisfaction among manual wheelchair users, showing a moderate overall satisfaction score of 3.9 out of 5 with the Google Maps Pedestrian routing tool.

While the GAT was effective in helping 87.5% of users reach their destination, it was not efficient, as 37.5% of users required additional help, highlighting areas for improvement in navigation assistance and usability features.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of satisfaction with geospatial assistive technology (ESGAT): a methodological and usability study. Vincent, C., Girard, R., Dumont, F., et al.[2022]

A study involving 17 manual wheelchair users identified 19 key usability criteria for Geospatial Assistive Technologies (GATs), with 15 being deemed most important, including ease of use, comfort, and information content.

Smartphones were preferred over other devices like smartwatches and augmented reality glasses for navigation tasks, highlighting the need for features like Bluetooth connectivity and hands-free operation to enhance usability and transportability for wheelchair users.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Geospatial assistive technologies: potential usability criteria identified from manual wheelchair users. Prémont, MÉ., Vincent, C., Mostafavi, MA.[2021]

References

1. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient-reported outcomes, patient-reported information: from randomized controlled trials to the social web and beyond. [2021]

2. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Crowdsourcing applications for public health. [2022]

3. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prioritizing research topics: a comparison of crowdsourcing and patient registry. [2018]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported treatment effectiveness for Crohn's disease using a novel crowdsourcing web-based platform. [2023]

5. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The potential of crowdsourcing to improve patient-centered care. [2022]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enrichment of OpenStreetMap Data Completeness with Sidewalk Geometries Using Data Mining Techniques. [2018]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Accessibility information in New Delhi for "EasenAccess" Android-based app for persons with disability: an observational study. [2021]

8. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Novel Geospatial Assistive Navigation Technology for Seamless Multimodal Mobility of Wheelchair Users. [2023]

9. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of satisfaction with geospatial assistive technology (ESGAT): a methodological and usability study. [2022]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Geospatial assistive technologies: potential usability criteria identified from manual wheelchair users. [2021]