Overview

• The PT-REFER study tested an intervention to build the capacity of YMCA associations to conduct outreach to physical therapy clinics about Enhance®Fitness, an evidence-based physical activity program for older adults offered at the YMCA.

Organization Name

University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center, Y-USA, Sound Generations

Organization Type

• Community organization

National/Policy Context

• Less than half of older adults achieve the recommended guidelines for physical activity (150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week).
• Physical therapists work closely with patients to help improve their mobility and function, and are therefore in a unique position to encourage physical activity among older adults.
• Clinical-community linkages, defined as formal partnerships between clinical healthcare providers and community-based programs, are seen as a promising approach to increasing older adult physical activity.

Local/Organizational Context

• In 2012, Y-USA began rolling out Enhance®Fitness in YMCA associations across the country.
• Obtaining healthcare provider recommendations was one of the suggested strategies for YMCA associations seeking to increase older adult participation in Enhance®Fitness.
• YMCA associations received little assistance in how to obtain provider recommendations, and expressed noted challenges in doing so.

Patient Population Served and Payor Information

• 20 YMCA associations across the U.S. were involved in the study.
• 10 associations received the intervention (intervention group) and 10 associations did not (control group).

Leadership

• Miruna Petrescu-Prahova, PhD, Principal Investigator
• Jeff Harris, MD MPH MBA, Investigator

Funding

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prevention Research Center (PRC) program grant (Cooperative Agreement Number U48DP005013)

Research + Planning

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Tools or Products Developed

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Training

• No formal training, but YMCA staff participated in monthly technical assistance calls with the YMCA technical advisor.

Team Members Involved

• Program staff
• Researcher
• Support Staff

Workflow Steps

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Budget Details

• Total costs associated with outreach to physical therapy clinics, including staff time, incentives to participate in the study, and printing and materials costs, was $95,110 in the intervention group and $74,172 in the control group.

Where We Are

• Project Dates: September 2014 – September 2019
• Date Published: June 2019

Outcomes

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Future Outcomes

• The toolkit is currently being disseminated among additional YMCAs, and to other community-based organizations that offer Enhance®Fitness; data may be collected on toolkit use (e.g., number of YMCAs and community-based organizations that use the toolkit, what tasks and resources were completed).

Benefits

• The YMCA associations participating in this study expressed an interest in toolkit use, which has helped Y-USA recognize that a need for these types of resources exist.
• The project provided insight into facilitators and barriers to conducting outreach. This knowledge can be used by Y-USA to create action plans for overcoming reported barriers and help determine which YMCAs are ready to use the toolkit.

Unique Challenges

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Sources

• Petrescu-Prahova, M., Leroux, B., Kohn, M., Kava, C. M., Steinman, L., Pike, M., Belza, B., Hannon, P. A., & Harris, J. R. Clinical-Community Linkages as a Tool for Increasing Evidence-Based Program Reach: The PT-REFER Trial Results. Poster presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting. Washington, DC: June 2-4, 2019.