Telehealth Group Exercise Program for Veterans with Knee or Hip Osteoarthritis 3-Month Exercise Start Plus 6-Month Maintenance with Text Messaging and Booster Sessions

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the acceptability and feasibility of a group telehealth exercise program designed for Veterans with symptomatic knee or hip osteoarthritis OA. This randomized pilot trial aims to understand how well Veterans can participate in and respond to exercise sessions delivered remotely, along with supportive text messaging. The study focuses on recruitment, retention, participant satisfaction, and overall experience, while also exploring changes in OA symptoms and physical activity levels over time. Participants receive a 3-month group telehealth exercise program combined with text messaging, followed by a 6-month maintenance phase. During maintenance, one group receives text messaging alone, while the other receives text messaging plus monthly group telehealth exercise booster sessions. This setup allows comparison of the two approaches to supporting continued exercise among Veterans. Throughout the study, data will be collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. Researchers will track the number of referrals, session attendance, and recruitment as primary outcomes related to feasibility. Acceptability will be measured with surveys and interviews covering satisfaction and reasons for participation. Additionally, changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index WOMAC and physical performance will be monitored remotely via telehealth sessions.

Expanding Exercise Programming for Veterans Through Telehealth