HypertensionMOVE_ONNCT05736484
Randomized Clinical Trial to Improve Mobility After Hospitalization
A study testing Social Support Gamification in people with Hypertension and Diabetes, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of using behavioral economic interventions (gamification with social incentives) to increase physical activity after hospital discharge to reduce incident mobility disability among older adults. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Failure
- What is being tested?
- Social Support Gamification
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 350 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 19 Sep 2023to 1 Jul 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 50 years or older
- Admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Health System acute care hospital (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Chester County Hospital, or Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center) and discharged to home
- Able to ambulate independently
Who cannot join
- Inability to provide informed consent
- Does not have daily access to a smartphone compatible with the wearable device and is not willing to use a device that the investigators can provide participants' with
- Already enrolled in another physical activity study
- Low mobility score indicating that the patient is not able to walk distances greater than 1000 steps/day independently
- Any other medical conditions that would prohibit participation in a 6-month physical activity program
- Unable to complete the baseline period (must have at least 4 out of 7 days of step data with minimum step count of 1000 steps/day)
- Not willing to use the wearable device for the full duration of the study
- Enrolled in hospice
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The MOVE ON Trial: A Randomized Trial of Gamification and Coaching to Improve Mobility After Hospitalization
The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of using behavioral economic interventions (gamification with social incentives) to increase physical activity after hospital discharge to reduce incident mobility disability among older adults.
Read the detailed description
MOVE ON is a 2-arm, randomized trial enrolling older adults 50 years or older with a recent hospitalization for hypertension, diabetes, and mild-moderate heart failure. The 52 week trial compares a control group wearing a wearable activity tracker to the intervention group that uses the same device and receives a supportive social incentive-based gamification intervention. The primary goal is to increase physical activity after discharge from the hospital to reduce incident mobility disability associated with acute illness and to reduce acute and post-acute care utilization.
- Being tested
- Social Support Gamification
- Keywords
- Gamification, Physical Activity, Behavioral Economics, Social Support, Mobility
- Medical subject headings
- Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Heart Failure, Mobility Limitation, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Social Support GamificationBehavioural
Participants sign a pre-commitment contract agreeing to try their best to achieve their daily step goal. Over the 26-week intervention period, participants are endowed 70 points (10/day) weekly and informed they will lose 10 points each day goal is not met. Points are replenished at start of each week. At the end of each week, if the participant has 40 points or more, they will advance a level, or drop a level if they have less than 40 points. The levels include blue (lowest), bronze, silver, gold, platinum (highest). Participants select a family member or friend as a support partner to receive weekly email on participants' progress (points, game level, and average step count). Participants will also work with a virtual health coach by attending group sessions organized by them with other participants through video calls once a month to discuss ways to motivate participants to increase their physical activity.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | Participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) but no other interventions during the intervention or follow-up periods.Participants will complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study. |
| Social Support Gamification | Experimental | Intervention participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) and will enter a game designed with behavioral economics concepts to address predictable barriers to behavior change during a 26-week intervention period. Participants will also work with a virtual health coach throughout the intervention period to increase their physical activity.
At the end of the 26 week intervention period, participants will enter a 26 week follow-up period during which interventions will cease but passive data collection of step counts will continue. Participants will also complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study. Receives: Behavioral: Social Support Gamification |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in mean daily step count from baseline to the end of the 26 week intervention period.
The primary outcome of the study is the participants' change in mean daily steps from the baseline period to the end of the 26 week intervention period collected by Fitbit Inspire device.
Measured: Baseline to 26 week intervention period (Weeks 1-26)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in mean daily step count from baseline to the end of the 26 week follow-up period.
The secondary outcome will examine the change in participants' mean daily step counts from the baseline period to the end of the 26 week follow-up period after the end of the 26 week intervention period collected by the Fitbit device.
Measured: Baseline to 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Participants' mobility disability throughout the entire study (Baseline to end of study [52 weeks]).
The investigators will explore participant mobility disability; defined as the change in the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) mobility measure score (on a scale of 5- without any difficulty to 1- unable to do) from baseline to 26 and 52 weeks, adjusting for time and participant baseline characteristics.
Measured: Baseline to 26 and 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Participants' acute care utilization throughout the entire study (Baseline to end of study [52 weeks]).
The investigators will explore participants' acute care utilization; defined as the number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations that occur at 26 and 52 weeks, adjusting for time and participant baseline characteristics.
Measured: Baseline to 26 and 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Feb 2023
- Study start19 Sep 2023
- Primary completion1 Jul 2026
- Study completion1 Jul 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for HypertensionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This is a 2-arm randomized control trial over 26 weeks with 26 weeks follow-up (total of 52 weeks) that compares a control group wearing a wearable activity tracker to the intervention group that uses the same device and receives a supportive social incentive-based gamification intervention.
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ryan Greysen, MD, MHS, MA, Principal investigator, University of Pennsylvania
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05736484
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 852338
- Acronym
- MOVE_ON
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 14 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The MOVE ON Trial: A Randomized Trial of Gamification and Coaching to Improve Mobility After Hospitalization
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05736484
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MOVE_ON / 852338
- Keywords
- Gamification, Physical Activity, Behavioral Economics, Social Support, Mobility
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Study start
- 19 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of using behavioral economic interventions (gamification with social incentives) to increase physical activity after hospital discharge to reduce incident mobility disability among older adults.
Detailed description
MOVE ON is a 2-arm, randomized trial enrolling older adults 50 years or older with a recent hospitalization for hypertension, diabetes, and mild-moderate heart failure. The 52 week trial compares a control group wearing a wearable activity tracker to the intervention group that uses the same device and receives a supportive social incentive-based gamification intervention. The primary goal is to increase physical activity after discharge from the hospital to reduce incident mobility disability associated with acute illness and to reduce acute and post-acute care utilization.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- This is a 2-arm randomized control trial over 26 weeks with 26 weeks follow-up (total of 52 weeks) that compares a control group wearing a wearable activity tracker to the intervention group that uses the same device and receives a supportive social incentive-based gamification intervention.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | –Participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) but no other interventions during the intervention or follow-up periods.Participants will complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study. |
| Social Support Gamification | Experimental | Behavioral: Social Support GamificationIntervention participants will receive a wearable device (e.g. FitBit) and will enter a game designed with behavioral economics concepts to address predictable barriers to behavior change during a 26-week intervention period. Participants will also work with a virtual health coach throughout the intervention period to increase their physical activity. At the end of the 26 week intervention period, participants will enter a 26 week follow-up period during which interventions will cease but passive data collection of step counts will continue. Participants will also complete milestones within the study, such as the Function assessment during the 6, and 12-month timepoints in the study. They will also complete a series of surveys during the 3, 6, 9, and 12-month timepoints in the study. Participants will complete an end-of-study questionnaire on their experience with the wearable device and time in the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Age 50 years or older
- Admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Health System acute care hospital (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Chester County Hospital, or Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center) and discharged to home
- Able to ambulate independently
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Inability to provide informed consent
- Does not have daily access to a smartphone compatible with the wearable device and is not willing to use a device that the investigators can provide participants' with
- Already enrolled in another physical activity study
- Low mobility score indicating that the patient is not able to walk distances greater than 1000 steps/day independently
- Any other medical conditions that would prohibit participation in a 6-month physical activity program
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Social Support GamificationParticipants sign a pre-commitment contract agreeing to try their best to achieve their daily step goal. Over the 26-week intervention period, participants are endowed 70 points (10/day) weekly and informed they will lose 10 points each day goal is not met. Points are replenished at start of each week. At the end of each week, if the participant has 40 points or more, they will advance a level, or drop a level if they have less than 40 points. The levels include blue (lowest), bronze, silver, gold, platinum (highest). Participants select a family member or friend as a support partner to receive weekly email on participants' progress (points, game level, and average step count). Participants will also work with a virtual health coach by attending group sessions organized by them with other participants through video calls once a month to discuss ways to motivate participants to increase their physical activity. | Behavioural | Social Support Gamification |
Primary outcome
Change in mean daily step count from baseline to the end of the 26 week intervention period.
Time frame: Baseline to 26 week intervention period (Weeks 1-26)
The primary outcome of the study is the participants' change in mean daily steps from the baseline period to the end of the 26 week intervention period collected by Fitbit Inspire device.
3 secondary outcomes
Change in mean daily step count from baseline to the end of the 26 week follow-up period.
Time frame: Baseline to 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Participants' mobility disability throughout the entire study (Baseline to end of study [52 weeks]).
Time frame: Baseline to 26 and 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Participants' acute care utilization throughout the entire study (Baseline to end of study [52 weeks]).
Time frame: Baseline to 26 and 52 weeks- end of the study (Weeks 1-52)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Oct 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Ryan Greysen, MD, MHS, MA principal investigator
University of Pennsylvania
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Social Support Gamification in people with Hypertension and Diabetes, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in mean daily step count from baseline to the end of the 26 week intervention period. (time frame: Baseline to 26 week intervention period (Weeks 1-26)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Oct 2026.