Digital home-based program to boost activity after hip replacement in older adults
iPATH - Digital Home-Based Training for Physical Activity Promotion in Older Adults After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial
NA · Heidelberg University · NCT07135843
This trial will test whether a 12-week tablet exercise program, with or without personal coaching, helps adults 65+ increase physical activity after total hip replacement.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 213 (estimated) |
| Ages | 65 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Heidelberg University (other) |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg) |
| Trial ID | NCT07135843 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a three-armed, assessor-blinded randomized trial at Heidelberg University enrolling about 213 older adults undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Participants receive objective activity monitoring with a body-fixed sensor before surgery, at six weeks, and at six months postoperatively, and are randomized after the six-week visit to usual care, a 12-week tablet-based exercise program, or the same program plus personal coaching. The digital intervention delivers structured home exercises and the coaching arm uses behavioral change techniques such as goal setting, self-monitoring, and barrier management. The primary comparison is physical activity six months after surgery, with secondary analyses comparing the coached versus uncoached digital program.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 65 or older with hip osteoarthritis scheduled for total hip arthroplasty, able to walk at least 10 m, living within 50 km of Heidelberg, having home Wi‑Fi, and able to provide informed consent.
Not a fit: Patients with severe comorbidities that limit fitness, major vision or hearing barriers to using digital tools, living in nursing homes, or with planned major procedures in the next six months are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help older adults become more active after hip replacement, improving mobility and daily function.
How similar studies have performed: Previous digital exercise and coaching programs for older adults have shown promising but mixed improvements in activity and function, so this trial addresses remaining uncertainties with objective mobility measures.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥65 years * Coxarthrosis with indication for total hip arthroplasty * Residence within a radius of ≤50 km from Heidelberg * Ability to walk ≥10 m (with/without walking aid) * Access to the internet (Wi-Fi) at home * Written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Insufficient German language skills * Insufficient hearing to communicate via (video) telephone * Insufficient vision to recognize study materials * Contralateral coxarthrosis with indication for total hip arthroplasty * Severe medical condition illnesses that compromise physical fitness (heart failure classified as New York Heart Association \[NYHA\] class ≥3, heart valve defects associated with syncope, cardiac arrhythmia with dizziness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease \[COPD\] with oxygen therapy, cancer with chemotherapy and/or radiation, Parkinson's disease with rollator use \[Hoehn \& Yahr stage ≥4\]) * Living in a nursing home * Planned major medical procedure within the next 6 months with inpatient hospital stay (e.g., further surgery) * Simultaneous participation in another competing study * Cognitive impairment (6-item Cognitive Impairment Test \[6CIT\] score \>7 points)
Where this trial is running
Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg
- Department of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital — Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Tobias Reiner, PhD, MD — Department of Orthopaedics, Heidelberg University Hospital
- Study coordinator: Tobias Eckert, PhD
- Email: tobias.eckert@med.uni-heidelberg.de
- Phone: +49 (0)6221 319 1562
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Total Hip Arthroplasty, Older Adults, Physical Activity, Digital Intervention, Physical Exercise, Coaching, Patient Education, Postoperative Care