Keeping up walking after leg amputation using telehealth
Official title: Walking Exercise Sustainability Through Telehealth for Veterans with Lower-LimbAmputation
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11316966 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program uses telehealth coaching to help Veterans with lower-limb amputation keep up regular walking exercise.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | November 1, 2022 |
| Project end | October 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003917-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11316966 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans with a lower-limb amputation who can attempt walking (with or without a prosthesis), are medically stable, and can take part in telehealth sessions from home.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot walk at all, have unstable medical conditions, lack access to telehealth, or are not Veterans are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would join a two-arm randomized trial comparing a telerehabilitation walking self-management program to an attention-control education program. The telerehab group gets clinician-supported coaching delivered by video or phone, individualized home walking plans, and activity monitoring with an accelerometer to track steps and activity over time. The control group receives education and attention but not the active coaching program. Researchers will measure walking activity, daily function, and health outcomes over several months to see which approach helps people sustain walking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, Veterans may be able to walk more regularly at home, improving independence, mood, and management of other health conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Similar home-based and telerehabilitation coaching programs have shown promise in other patient groups, but this specific approach for Veterans with lower-limb amputation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Christiansen, Cory L — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Christiansen, Cory L
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.