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© 2022 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Introduction

The REFORM (REhabilitation FOR Musculoskeletal conditions) trial is a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (n=210) designed to determine whether a supported home exercise programme is as good or better than a course of face-to-face physiotherapy for the management of some musculoskeletal conditions. The trial is currently being conducted across Sydney government hospitals in Australia. This process evaluation will run alongside the REFORM trial. It combines qualitative and quantitative data to help explain the trial results and determine the feasibility of rolling out supported home exercise programmes in settings similar to the REFORM trial.

Methods and analysis

Two theoretical frameworks underpin our process evaluation methodology: the Realist framework (context, mechanism, outcomes) considers the causal assumptions as to why a supported home exercise programme may be as good or better than face-to-face physiotherapy in terms of the context, mechanisms and outcomes of the trial. The RE-AIM framework describes the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance of the intervention. These two frameworks will be broadly used to guide this process evaluation using a mixed-methods approach. For example, qualitative data will be derived from interviews with patients, healthcare professionals and stakeholders, and quantitative data will be collected to determine the cost and feasibility of providing supported home exercise programmes. These data will be analysed iteratively before the analysis of the trial results and will be triangulated with the results of the primary and secondary outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial will be conducted in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2018) and the Note for Good Clinical Practice (CPMP/ICH-135/95). Ethical approval was obtained on 17 March 2017 from the Northern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (trial number: HREC/16HAWKE/431-RESP/16/287) with an amendment for the process evaluation approved on 4 February 2020. The results of the process evaluation will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12619000065190.

Details

Title
Protocol for a process evaluation: face-to-face physiotherapy compared with a supported home exercise programme for the management of musculoskeletal conditions: the REFORM trial
Author
Withers, Hannah G 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Liu, Hueiming 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Glinsky, Joanne V 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Chu, Jackie 1 ; Jennings, Matthew D 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hayes, Alison J 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Starkey, Ian J 5 ; Palmer, Blake A 5 ; Szymanek, Lukas 6 ; Cruwys, Jackson J 6 ; Wong, David 7 ; Duong, Kitty 7 ; Barnett, Anne 8 ; Tindall, Matthew J 8 ; Lucas, Barbara R 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lambert, Tara E 9 ; Taylor, Deborah A 9 ; Sherrington, Catherine 10   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ferreira, Manuela L 11 ; Maher, Christopher G 12 ; Zadro, Joshua R 12   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Harvey, Lisa A 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Northern Sydney Local Health District, The University of Sydney, Kolling Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia 
 The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia 
 School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, Bankstown Hospital, Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia 
 Physiotherapy Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia 
10  Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
11  Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
12  Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia 
First page
e057790
Section
Rehabilitation medicine
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
e-ISSN
20446055
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2686945070
Copyright
© 2022 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.