Adapting, Implementing and Evaluating the Effectiveness of HARP for People With Disabilities

Purpose

The Home Hazard Removal Program (HARP) is an effective fall prevention intervention program which targets home hazard identification/removal. In this study the investigators will examine the effectiveness and implementation potential of HARP, adapted for PwD. Investigators will conduct a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) to test the implementation, cost, and preliminary efficacy of an adapted version of HARP for community-dwelling PwD. The single-blinded feasibility RCT will randomize 40 participants to treatment (adapted HARP) and 40 to a waitlist control group. Data on specific types of fall hazards and resulting home modifications as well as falls and fall-related injuries (collected monthly over 12 months) and fear of falling (collected at baseline and 12 months) will inform the preliminary efficacy of adapted HARP among PwD. To ensure usefulness, relevance, and broad dissemination of findings, the investigators will adopt a "designing for implementation and dissemination" approach. The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework will guide intervention adaptation, trial design, and future implementation. The Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) guides study development by identifying multi-level contextual factors hypothesized to affect the RE-AIM outcomes.

Conditions

  • Disabilities Physical
  • Falls
  • Fall Prevention
  • Adults

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 45 Years and 64 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • age 45-64 years - self-report of difficulty with ≥2 daily activities - have had a physical disability for ≥5 years (e.g., spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, post-polio syndrome, stroke, amputation) - live in the City of St. Louis - had a fall in the past year, or are worried about falling, or feel unsteady when standing or walking

Exclusion Criteria

• individuals who are institutionalized

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Adapted HARP Intervention
Participants in this group receive the adapted HARP intervention.
  • Behavioral: Adapted HARP
    The adapted HARP intervention includes two to three in-home visits conducted by an OT practitioner over approximately 5 weeks in the homes of PwD. At the end of the first home visit, solutions to remove the identified fall hazards will be determined collaboratively with the participant, using motivational interviewing to establish hazards and shared-decision making and tailoring to help the participant brainstorm solutions to remove the hazards. Participants will then receive one to two additional visits from the OT, and a contractor if needed, to implement solutions using a self-management approach, identifying any additional hazards and subsequent modifications if necessary. All adaptive equipment and modifications will be provided at no cost to the participant. Booster visit(s) will be completed 3-6 months after the initial treatment sessions to ensure the home modifications are still appropriate, troubleshoot any equipment issues and review the self-management process.
No Intervention
Waitlist Control
Participants in this group receive virtual social visits. They will be offered the adapted HARP intervention after the 12-month follow-up visit is completed.

Recruiting Locations

Washington University in St. Louis and nearby locations

Washington University in St. Louis
St Louis 4407066, Missouri 4398678 63110
Contact:
Susan Stark, PhD
314-935-2551
sstark@wustl.edu

More Details

NCT ID
NCT07033897
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Washington University School of Medicine

Study Contact

Susan L Stark, PhD
(314)935-2551
sstark@wustl.edu

Detailed Description

The Home Hazard Removal Program (HARP) is an effective fall prevention intervention program which targets home hazard identification/removal, previously demonstrating a 38% reduction in falls among older adults with high fall risk. In this study investigators will examine the effectiveness and implementation potential of HARP, adapted for people with disabilities (PwD). The investigators will use a hybrid approach including a pilot RCT and a mixed methods study (semi-structured interviews and focus group) to adapt and examine the implementation and preliminary efficacy of HARP. The investigators will conduct a Phase IIb pilot RCT study to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an adapted version of HARP in community-dwelling PwD. The single-blinded RCT will randomize 40 participants to adapted HARP and 40 to waitlist control. Data on specific types of fall hazards and resulting home modifications as well as falls and fall-related injuries (collected monthly over 12 months) and fear of falling (collected at baseline and 12 months) will inform the preliminary efficacy of adapted HARP among PwD. To ensure usefulness, relevance, and broad dissemination of findings, the investigators will adopt a "designing for implementation and dissemination" approach. The RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework, which guides planning and outcome evaluation of programming, will guide intervention adaptation, trial design, and future implementation. The Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) has guided study development by identifying multi-level contextual factors hypothesized to affect the RE-AIM outcomes. Mixed methods using both quantitative and qualitive data (i.e., semi-structured interviews with 10 participants and a focus group with stakeholders [e.g., St. Louis Area Agency on Aging case managers, referral and evaluation specialists) will incorporate metrics from PRISM and RE-AIM, such as enrollment metrics, fidelity of implementation, number and specific location of fall hazards in the home, number, type and cost of home modifications, long-term adherence to home modifications and reduction in home hazards, qualitative perspectives on strengths and barriers, and willingness to adopt similar programming. Data will be used to identify the specific location of fall hazards, places where falls tend to occur in the home, and strategies to remediate these hazards.