Activating SilverSneakers Benefits for Seniors With Osteoarthritis

NCT06782347 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BPS-2022C3-30497
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,454
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this pragmatic randomized controlled trial is to test the effects of a brief proactive care intervention involving mailed material and two phone calls on: (1) increasing participation in SilverSneakers exercise programs among older adults with osteoarthritis; (2) improving physical, social and psychological outcomes identified as important to older adults with osteoarthritis; and (3) reducing costly osteoarthritis-related health service use. Approximately 1,454 older adults with osteoarthritis who have SilverSneakers access through their Medicare Advantage plan, but no prior SilverSneakers use, will be recruited to participate across the United States. Key outcome measures will be assessed over a two-year follow-up period.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis; Physical Inactivity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Physical Function (subscale)

  This measure is a subscale of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC); items measure ability to perform activities of daily living. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from None (0) to Extreme (4). The scores are summed, with a possible score range of 0 to 68 for the Physical Function subscale. Higher scores indicate worse functional limitations.

  Administered at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up; reported score for the primary outcome is the change between baseline and 24-month follow-up.

• SilverSneakers Activation

  Number of participants who enrolled in SilverSneakers and used their SilverSneakers benefit at least one time.

  Obtained from Humana health claims databases at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up; the number of participants who enrolled in SilverSneakers and used the benefit is calculated as a cumulative total across all assessment points.

• SilverSneakers Long-Term Participation Rate

  Of those participants who enrolled in SilverSneakers and used their SilverSneakers benefit at least once, the number who are still using their SilverSneakers benefit ≥1 time/month at 24-month follow-up.

  Obtained from Humana health claims databases at 12- and 24-month follow-up; primary outcome measured at 24-month follow-up.

Secondary Outcomes (19)

• SilverSneakers Usage Frequency

  Obtained from Humana health claims databases at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

• SilverSneakers Interaction Mode

  Obtained from Humana health claims databases at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

• Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Strength Training

  Administered at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

• Pain (subscale)

  Administered at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

• Fatigue

  Administered at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up.

Study Arms (2)

Proactive Care

OTHER

The Proactive Care condition will consist of one mailing to alert older adults to the existence of their SilverSneakers benefit, followed by two action-planning phone calls to prompt activation and use of the SilverSneakers exercise benefit. The action-planning calls will guide older adults through an action plan to enroll in SilverSneakers, and choose convenient joint-friendly SilverSneakers exercise options appropriate for their fitness level. Exercise options are available both in-person and online. Older adults will also be given the option to have an information sheet about SilverSneakers sent to their primary care providers to encourage further discussion about SilverSneakers.

Behavioral: Proactive Care

Usual Care

NO INTERVENTION

The Usual Care condition will include the standard information provided to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries about SilverSneakers.

Interventions

Proactive Care BEHAVIORAL

The proactive care intervention was designed to be similar to proactive care approaches used successfully in the tobacco control area. These proactive care procedures have not yet been adequately evaluated in the exercise promotion area.

Proactive Care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 65 and older.
• ICD-9 or ICD-10 code for hip, knee, or general osteoarthritis.
• Positive response to a standardized question from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey that asks if patient was diagnosed with osteoarthritis/arthritis and self-report confirmation of hip and/or knee pain due to their osteoarthritis/arthritis.
• Continuous enrollment for at least one year in a Humana Medicare Advantage plan which provides free SilverSneakers access and both medical and prescription drug coverage.
• Not currently or previously enrolled in SilverSneakers.
• Speak English or Spanish.
• Physical/mental capacity to provide informed consent, based on not having an ICD-9 or ICD-10 code for dementia and being able to answer three questions to verify comprehension of the informed consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• Another person in the same household is enrolling/enrolled in the study (to prevent treatment contamination, only one participant per household can participate).
• Medicare/Medicaid dual enrollment due to limited data accessibility for this group.
• Receiving hospice care or under long-term institutional care (Part C) due to limited data accessibility for this group.
• Receiving care from a provider credentialed through a delegated arrangement (i.e., delegated provider), due to limited data accessibility for this group.
• Lack of a valid mailing address in the Humana medical claims databases.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tivity Health: collaborator
• Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: lead
• Humana Healthcare Research: collaborator
• Kaiser Permanente: collaborator
• Global Healthy Living Foundation: collaborator
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute: collaborator
• CVS Healthspire Life Sciences Solutions: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Penn State College of Medicine

Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Osteoarthritis; Sedentary Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Behavior

Study Officials

• Liza S. Rovniak, PhD, MPH

  Penn State College of Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Liza S. Rovniak, PhD, MPH

CONTACT

717-531-8161; lrovniak@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health Sciences

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2024
• First Posted: January 17, 2025
• Study Start: January 21, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Last Updated: February 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)