A Novel Digital Tool Physicians Can Use to Prescribe Exercise to Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Novel Algorithm for Physicians to Prescribe Personalized Exercise Prescriptions to Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: Study Protocol for an Exploratory Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial
University of Connecticut
72 participants
Jan 1, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The investigators will conduct a feasibility and pilot efficacy randomized controlled trial to test the usability and user satisfaction of an evidence-based digital health tool the investigators developed for physicians to use to Prioritize Personalize Prescribe EXercise (P3-EX) to patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The investigators will recruit 24 physicians from two local hospitals in CT, USA. Physicians will recruit two patients each (N=48) having CVD risk factors. Physicians will deliver a P3-EX exercise prescription (ExRx) to one of their patients (n=24) and the American College of Sports Medicine Physical Activity Vital Sign (ACSM-PAVS) ExRx to the other (n=24) in a random sequence crossover design. Physicians and patients will rate the feasibility and acceptability of each method using validated questionnaires. Patients will perform their prescribed ExRx for 12 weeks and complete a self-report exercise diary to monitor exercise adherence with virtual oversight from University of Connecticut (UConn) Graduate Research Assistants. Before and after the exercise intervention, the investigators will measure patient CVD risk factors and physical activity (PA) levels via accelerometry. The primary aim is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of P3-EX for physicians to use to prescribe exercise to patients with CVD risk factors, and the secondary aim is to explore the preliminary efficacy of P3-EX to improve patient CVD risk factors, PA levels, and exercise adherence. The investigators hypothesize P3-EX will be feasible for physicians to use to prescribe customized exercise routines for patients with CVD risk factors, and physicians and patients will be satisfied with P3-EX.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria17
- Practicing medical doctors employed at the study recruitment sites
- Do not recommend written exercise programs or plans to their patients, nor refer them to exercise clinics or exercise professionals
- Are willing to recruit two of their patients to deliver Prioritize Personalize Prescribe EXercise (P3-EX) and American College of Sports Medicine Physical Activity Vital Sign (ACSM PAVS)
- Sedentary: have not performed planned, structured physical activity at moderate intensity for ≥30 minutes on ≥3 days per week in the last 3 months
- Adults: ≥18 and ≤64 yrs
- ≥1 cardiovascular disease risk factors: Having obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes (or prediabetes)
- Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or WC \>102 cm (40 in) for men and \>88 cm (35 in) for women
- Hypertension: Systolic BP ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg, or on antihypertensive medication
- Dyslipidemia: LDL-C ≥130 mg/dL (3.37 mmol/L), or HDL-C \<40 mg/dL (1.04 mmol/L) in men and \<50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) in women, or non-HDL-C ≥160 mg/dL (4.14 mmol/L), or on lipid-lowering medication, or TC ≥200 mg/dL (5.18 mmol/L)
- Diabetes (or prediabetes): FBG ≥100 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥5.7%, or on medication for diabetes
- Healthy: Having no signs or symptoms of or have cardiovascular or renal disease, or other diseases or health conditions that significantly limit physical activity engagement
- Not pregnant or lactating
- Not a cigarette smoker or quit smoking ≥6 months ago
- Consume \<2 alcoholic drinks daily
- Able to use a computer or phone with internet access
- Fluent in English
- Willing to maintain their medication routine and habitual diet and not follow other exercise or nutrition programs.
Interventions
UConn Graduate Research Assistants will provide patients with virtual weekly oversight to follow their P3-EX unsupervised exercise program for 12 weeks. Patients will choose the location and the FITT of exercise they prefer. UConn Graduate Research Assistants will provide all patients with a 12-week exercise program information packet containing progressive FITT exercise recommendations for their exercise program. Patients will use an exercise diary called the Timeline Followback for Exercise to record the FITT of exercise daily. Patients will attend two virtual study visits led by UConn Graduate Research Assistants during the first week and midway through the intervention to receive standardized guidance on how they are doing following their exercise program. UConn Graduate Research Assistants will email all patients weekly to provide their progressive FITT exercise recommendations and summary reports of their Timeline Followback for Exercise recordings.
University of Connecticut (UConn) Graduate Research Assistants will provide patients with virtual weekly oversight to follow their ACSM-PAVS unsupervised exercise program for 12 weeks. Patients will choose the location and the FITT of exercise they prefer. UConn Graduate Research Assistants will provide all patients with a 12-week exercise program information packet containing progressive FITT exercise recommendations for their exercise program. Patients will use an exercise diary called the Timeline Followback for Exercise to record the FITT of exercise daily. Patients will attend two virtual study visits led by UConn Graduate Research Assistants during the first week and midway through the intervention to receive standardized guidance. UConn Graduate Research Assistants will email all patients weekly to provide their progressive FITT exercise recommendations and summary reports of their Timeline Followback for Exercise recordings.
Locations(3)
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NCT07238556