Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33371023›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2020

Can an online exercise prescription tool improve adherence to home exercise programmes in children with cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities? A randomised controlled trial.

Rowan W Johnson, Sian A Williams, Daniel F Gucciardi, Natasha Bear, Noula Gibson

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Rowan W JohnsonTherapy Services, Ability Centre, Perth, Western Australia, Australia rowan.johnson@postgrad.curtin.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-3706-0798
Sian A WilliamsSchool of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4907-7477
Daniel F GucciardiSchool of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5448-3990
Natasha BearInstitute of Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9311-4386
Noula GibsonTherapy Services, Ability Centre, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0183-9214
Curtin University · AUThe University of Notre Dame Australia · AUUniversity of Auckland · NZ

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDetermine the adherence to and effectiveness of an 8-week home exercise programme for children with disabilities delivered using Physitrack, an online exercise prescription tool, compared with traditional paper-based methods.

designSingle-blinded, parallel-groups, randomised controlled trial (RCT).

settingIntervention took place in participants' homes in Western Australia.

participantsChildren aged 6 to 17 years, with neurodevelopmental disabilities including cerebral palsy (CP), receiving community therapy services.

interventionAll participants completed an individualised home exercise programme, which was delivered to the intervention group using Physitrack and conventional paper-based methods for the control group. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Adherence to exercise programme, goal achievement and exercise performance. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Enjoyment, confidence and usability of Physitrack.

resultsFifty-four participants with CP (n=37) or other neurodevelopmental disabilities (n=17) were recruited. Fifty-three were randomised after one early withdrawal. Forty-six completed the 8-week programme, with 24 in the intervention group and 22 in the control group. There was no difference between the two groups for percentage of exercises completed (intervention (n=22): 62.8% (SD 27.7), control (n=22): 55.8% (SD 19.4), between group mean difference -7.0% (95% CI: -21.6 to 7.5, p=0.34)). Both groups showed significant improvement in their self-rated performance of individualised goal activities, however there was no statistically significant difference between groups for goal achievement, quality of exercise performance, enjoyment, confidence or preferred method of delivery. There were no adverse events.

conclusionPhysitrack provides a therapist with a new means of providing an exercise programme with online tools such as exercise videos, but our preliminary findings indicate that it may be no better than a traditional paper-based method for improving exercise adherence or the other outcomes measured. Exercise programmes remain an intervention supported by evidence, but a larger RCT is required to fully evaluate online delivery methods. TRIAL REGISTRATION DETAILS: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12616000743460.

Indexed as

Cerebral PalsyAdolescentAustraliaAutism Spectrum DisorderChildExercise TherapyFemaleHumansMalePrescriptionsQuality of LifeWestern Australiadevelopmental neurology & neurodisabilitypaediatric neurologyrehabilitation medicine

Identifiers

PMID33371023
PMCPMC7757494
OpenAlexW3114185670

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.