November 19, 2012
Institutional Review Board, Hospital for Special Surgery
The safety of our participants is our top priority. The trial/study is approved and periodically reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which includes doctors, administrators, ethicists, and members of the general public. The safety of clinical trials is reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Before enrolling in a clinical trial or research study, the investigator will explain the purpose of the trial/study, its expected benefits, any possible risks or side effects, and what your role will be. If you want to join the trial/study, you must sign informed consent documents. You can leave a trial/study at any time without penalty.
For further information, see Understanding Clinical Trials/Research Studies.
Sandra Goldsmith, MA, MS, RD
Dana Friedman, MPH
Huijuan Huang, MPA
Vicky Jin
Thimothan Manickawasagar
The Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) is an 8-week community-based recreational exercise course developed by the Arthritis Foundation. A trained AFEP instructor, certified by the Foundation, covers a variety of range-of-motion and endurance-building activities, relaxation techniques, and health education topics. All of the exercises can be modified to meet participant needs. The program’s demonstrated benefits include improved functional ability, decreased depression, and increased confidence in one’s ability to exercise. This course takes place either in Hospital for Special Surgery, New York Public Library or a New York City community senior center in order to make this intervention accessible to as many community members as possible.
The study is being conducted in order to assess the impact of the program on pain, balance, falls, stiffness, fatigue, physical functioning and activity levels. Surveys are distributed at the first and last class of the program to collect this pre/post information from participants. As this is an active study of a program whose reach is being expanded, the number of subjects enrolled is unlimited.
English- or Chinese-speaking adults with arthritis and related diseases may participate in AFEP, since pre/post-test evaluations are only be provided in these languages. Participants need not be HSS patients to attend classes.
Dana Friedman, MPH
FriedmanD@hss.edu
212.774.2185