The PLOD study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised controlled pilot study to demonstrate the effect of fitness trackers on perceived level of disability (PLOD) in intermittent claudication (IC) patients undergoing exercise therapy.
IRAS ID
269247
Contact name
Matthew Bartlett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Many elderly people suffer from intermittent claudication (IC) – a condition characterised by pain in the legs whilst walking. A common cause of these symptoms is when the vessels that supply blood to the legs become narrowed or occluded; a disorder known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
The condition is usually managed with lifestyle changes and supervised exercise therapy (SET) or home-based exercise (HBE). Research has shown that exercise therapy is successful in improving walking performance; however in reality, there are a few limitations to their effectiveness. The effectiveness of exercise therapy mainly depends on the patient’s motivation, which might be low in some patients due to their perceived level of disability (PLOD). Patient’s compliance to exercise therapy can be low; and benefits are gradual, leaving some patients disappointed that their walking performance does not improve immediately with exercise therapy. Patients sometimes find it difficult to continue exercising after exercise therapy has ended – which is a problem because improvement in walking performance is quickly lost. Lastly, the program is costly and it is not available in every hospital. This shows the need for a cost-effective system that improves patients’ adherence to exercise, thereby resulting in long-lasting outcomes.
We aim to examine whether using fitness trackers has an effect on patients’ PLOD and effectively, their walking performance. We will recruit a group of suitable IC patients who have been referred for exercise therapy program by their doctor. Patients will be randomly assigned into two groups: one with fitness trackers and the other group, without. Each patient will have a walking assessment test, and questionnaires to fill out to assess their PLOD; before and after completing a 3-month exercise therapy program. Differences in PLOD and walking distance between the two groups will then be compared and analysed.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
19/NS/0173
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion