THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF THE CONSUMER ADVISORY BOARD IN THE STRUCTURED EXERCISE PROGRAM TO REDUCE FATIGUE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING DIALYSIS: AN ADAPTIVE TRIAL (M-FIT)
M-FIT Steering Committee Javier Recabarren1,2, NICOLE SCHOLES-ROBERTSON2,3 1Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia2Centre for Kidney Research, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia3Rural and Remote Health, Flinders University, Alice Springs, Northen Territory, Australia
Abstract
Background and Aims: The involvement of patients and caregivers in trials can help to improve recruitment and retention, and the acceptability, uptake and impact of intervention. One approach is convening Consumer Advisory Boards (CABs) whereby consumers can provide guidance and input across all stages of the trial. We aimed to describe the role and impact of the consumer advisory boards in the Structured exercise program to reduce fatigue in patients receiving dialysis trial (M-FIT).
Methods: We convened a CAB involving 7 patients and 1 caregiver. To date, the consumer advisory board has provided input in the design of the intervention (the mobile application, exercise program, surveys and health care diary), and data collection.
Results: The mobile application that patients will use during the trial was optimised by making it more consumer-friendly in completing surveys and the health care diary, the performance of the exercise, the way to navigate throughout the app and the addition of notifications with motivational statements. In addition, the exercise interventions were modified for feasibility (for example, ensuring that exercises were safe and feasible for patients with a fistula). The consumer advisory board also improved the healthcare diary and the surveys to make them more consumer friendly. Finally, the data collection process was refined to reduce respondent burden (for example, by reducing the number of surveys).
Conclusions: The consumer advisory board for the M-FIT trial provided valuable suggestions that have improved the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention, and aspects trial design.
Biography
Javier Recabarren Silva is a Research Officer at the Centre for Kidney Research at the School of Public Health, at The University of Sydney. Javier was awarded his PhD in 2022 in the field of political economy at the School of Social and Political Sciences, at The University of Sydney. His main areas of research are the analysis of health policies, the impacts of the social determinants of health, and the involvement of patients and caregivers in research.