While numerous studies have assessed the promising impacts of prehabilitation, there is a lack of prehabilitation research within lower socioeconomic patient populations. Often for prehabilitation studies, patients are heavily involved in full scale exercise and nutrition programs weeks before the scheduled procedure. In underserved populations, programs such as these are often not feasible due to lack of transport, resources, and other barriers to healthcare. The investigators seek to evaluate the effectiveness of inexpensive interventions in lower socioeconomic populations. The investigators hypothesize that barriers to prehabilitation are environmental and that prehabilitation interventions tailored for lower socioeconomic (SES) populations will improve time to discharge, mobility, and in turn, readmission rates. The participants for this clinical trial will be seen four times: initially at the preoperative surgical clinic (6-8 weeks prior to surgery), 1-2 days preop at a pre-procedure clinic, postoperative in the inpatient setting (as soon as the participant is able to ambulate during their hospital stay), and in the postoperative surgical clinic at the postoperative visit. Patients will be within the general surgery, colorectal, and surgical oncology departments at Boston Medical Center (BMC). The anticipated sample size is 60 participants (30 in the intervention/prehabilitation arm and 30 in the control/usual care arm). Participants in the intervention arm will participate in a mobility and step tracking intervention aimed at improving postoperative outcomes. The control group will follow routine standard of care at BMC for preoperative and postoperative care.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
3
The intervention will be an instructional video describing proper walking technique particularly up flights of stairs for patients to do at home. This will be shown at preoperative surgical clinic and will be available for access at home from patient's cell phones. The video is currently in production at BMC. Additionally, text reminders will be sent daily to remind patients to walk at home.
Participants will be encouraged to compete 140-150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week- achieved by two walking sessions per day 10-11 minutes in length (realistic/achievable goal)
Text reminders will be sent daily to remind patients to walk at home.
Participants will be encouraged to walk 10,000 steps daily which will be tracked with a pedometer
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Baseline 6 minute walking test (6MWT)
The 6MWT is an exercise test that measure patient endurance and aerobic capacity. Participants will walk while attached to pulse oximetry for 6 minutes and total distance walked will be recorded. The higher a person's score, the better their exercise tolerance.
Time frame: Baseline (preoperatively)
Postoperative 6 minute walking test (6MWT)
The 6MWT is an exercise test that measure patient endurance and aerobic capacity. Participants will walk while attached to pulse oximetry for 6 minutes and total distance walked will be recorded. The higher a person's score, the better their exercise tolerance.
Time frame: Postoperative, 24-48 hours after surgery
Baseline Activity Measure for Post Acute Care (AMPAC)
This tool aims to assess a patient's physical function status as it relates to activities of daily living as a brief questionnaire. Questions assess ability to perform activities such as dressing and ambulating.Known as "6-Clicks" due to being composed of six scored patient activity questions, a patient's "6-Clicks" score falls on a 6- to 24-point scale where a score of 6 represents total functional impairment and a score of 24 represents total absence of impairment.
Time frame: Baseline (preoperatively)
Postoperative Activity Measure for Post Acute Care (AMPAC)
This tool aims to assess a patient's physical function status as it relates to activities of daily living as a brief questionnaire. Questions assess ability to perform activities such as dressing and ambulating.Known as "6-Clicks" due to being composed of six scored patient activity questions, a patient's "6-Clicks" score falls on a 6- to 24-point scale where a score of 6 represents total functional impairment and a score of 24 represents total absence of impairment.
Time frame: Postoperative, 24-48 hours after surgery
Baseline Frailty Scoring
Clinical frailty score is a 9 point scale used to assess frailty in patients. A score of 1 indicates "Very Fit", 2 indicates "Fit", and so on. A frailty score of 9 indicates terminally ill. The higher the frailty score, the more frail a patient is considered. Clinicians use their best judgement given a variety of patient factors including physical fitness, motivation, and medical comorbidities
Time frame: Baseline (preoperatively)
Postoperative Frailty Scoring
Clinical frailty score is a 9 point scale used to assess frailty in patients. A score of 1 indicates "Very Fit", 2 indicates "Fit", and so on. A frailty score of 9 indicates terminally ill. The higher the frailty score, the more frail a patient is considered. Clinicians use their best judgement given a variety of patient factors including physical fitness, motivation, and medical comorbidities.
Time frame: Postoperative, 24-48 hours after surgery
Baseline John's Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility (JH-HLM) Scale
The JH-HLM is an ordinal scale for documenting a patient's highest observed level of activity in the bed, chair, standing, and walking. It has a range from 1 to 8 where lying in bed (score = 1) to ambulating \>250 feet (score = 8). HIgher scores indicate greater mobility.
Time frame: Baseline (preoperatively)
Postoperative John's Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility (JH-HLM) Scale
The JH-HLM is an ordinal scale for documenting a patient's highest observed level of activity in the bed, chair, standing, and walking. It has a range from 1 to 8 where lying in bed (score = 1) to ambulating \>250 feet (score = 8). HIgher scores indicate greater mobility.
Time frame: Postoperative, 24-48 hours after surgery
Baseline Veterans Rand 12 (VR-12) Item Health Survey
The VR-12 is a patient reported outcome measure that aims to assess patients health related qualify of life as it relates to their physical and mental health.The results of the VR-12 are summarized as two scores - a Mental Component Score (MCS) and a Physical Component Score (PCS). The scores may be reported as Z-scores (difference compared to the population average, measured in standard deviations). The United States population average PCS and MCS are both 50 points.
Time frame: Baseline (preoperatively)
Postoperative Veterans Rand 12 (VR-12) Item Health Survey
The VR-12 is a patient reported outcome measure that aims to assess patients health related qualify of life as it relates to their physical and mental health.The results of the VR-12 are summarized as two scores - a Mental Component Score (MCS) and a Physical Component Score (PCS). The scores may be reported as Z-scores (difference compared to the population average, measured in standard deviations). The United States population average PCS and MCS are both 50 points.
Time frame: Postoperative, 24-48 hours after surgery
Adherence to mobility intervention assessed by text survey data
Participants will be asked daily regarding home activity level (minutes of walking per day) as a measure of adherence to prehabilitation walking program.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Adherence to mobility intervention assessed by pedometer step count
Participants will be asked daily about their pedometer step count as a measure of adherence to prehabilitation walking program.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Readmission rate
Through chart review, the participants readmission rate back into the hospital (postoperatively) will be compared between the intervention and control group.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Length of hospital stay
The number of days participants are hospitalized will be abstracted from the participants medical records.
Time frame: 6-8 weeks
Complications from surgery
Through chart review, the rate of complications will be compared intervention and control group. Complications comprise of: infection of surgical site, hemorrhage, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, pulmonary complications (ie. atelectasis, pneumonia), and death.
Time frame: 2 months post surgery
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