Implementing a Personalized Physical Therapy Approach (Coach2Move) Is Effective in Increasing Physical Activity and Improving Functional Mobility in Older Adults: A Cluster-Randomized, Stepped Wedge Trial.
Ward Heij, Lieke Sweerts, J Bart Staal and 5 others
PMID 36200397WHAT IT FOUND
A personalized physical therapy approach increased weekly physical activity by 297 minutes and improved functional mobility by 14 seconds on the Timed Up & Go test at 6 months compared to usual care.
These benefits persisted at 12 months despite fewer treatment sessions.
Key findings
01Coach2Move participants increased physical activity by 297 minutes per week at 6 months and 442 minutes per week at 12 months compared to usual care.
02Functional mobility improved more in the Coach2Move group, with a 14-second reduction in Timed Up & Go time at 6 months and 17 seconds at 12 months.
03Coach2Move participants received fewer physical therapy sessions on average (15) than those in usual care (22).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study did not reach its target sample size in the Coach2Move group due to delays in reimbursement approval and the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline imbalances existed: Coach2Move participants were initially more frail, less active, and had lower quality of life than usual care participants. Loss to follow-up was higher in the Coach2Move group (23%) than in the usual care group (15%). Outcome assessors were not masked to group allocation. The LAPAQ self-report measure may underestimate actual physical activity levels. The COVID-19 lockdown affected the final measurements for some participants, potentially biasing results.
Declared interests
The funder (ZonMw) had no role in study design, execution, analysis, or reporting. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this approach reduces overall healthcare costs. While physical therapy session counts were lower, total healthcare costs were not significantly different between groups, and the cost per QALY gained was €8993.