Adapting ENGAGE-PD physical activity coaching for individuals newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s: perspectives of healthcare professionals using Nominal Group Technique consensus
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN50241156 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN50241156 |
| National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) | 305241 |
| Sponsor | University of Plymouth |
| Funder | National Institute for Health and Care Research |
- Submission date
- 28/11/2025
- Registration date
- 02/12/2025
- Last edited
- 01/12/2025
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Nervous System Diseases
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Worldwide research suggests that physical activity can slow Parkinson's progression, yet people with Parkinson's are often less active than their peers. We aim to find out whether a programme of personalised, therapist-led coaching support, delivered in NHS rehabilitation settings (called ENGAGE-PD) can help people recently diagnosed with Parkinson's.
ENGAGE-PD was originally developed in the USA. There are three main elements:
1. Physical activity coaching
2. A physical activity workbook
3. Physical activity monitoring
Who can participate:
Having consulted with people with lived experience of Parkinson’s, we are now consulting NHS healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of physiotherapy rehabilitation for people with Parkinson’s to help design a UK version of ENGAGE-PD. We aim to recruit six to eight UK NHS services that provide physiotherapy rehabilitation for people with Parkinson's.
What does the study involve:
With permission, three to eight participants from each service will share their ideas via an online meeting and by email and/or Microsoft Teams correspondence.
Each participant will only need to contribute to one meeting. Within the meeting, through a series of stages, agreement will be reached by using ‘Nominal Group Technique’ consensus to prioritise the elements relevant to a UK trial.
Participants will also complete an anonymised questionnaire that asks for some basic information about their job role and position so that we can make sure that we are including the views of people from different groups. This will also ask some basic questions about usual physiotherapy care for people with Parkinson’s in their service.
We will use the research findings to further develop a UK version of ENGAGE-PD. Physiotherapists in NHS rehabilitation settings will test and deliver this in a future study.
What are the possible benefits and risks to taking part?
Participants will be providing information on what should be included in a UK version of the ENGAGE-PD intervention to help people with newly diagnosed Parkinson’s with their physical activity levels. The knowledge gained from this study may help people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s and NHS services that support them. A future UK version of ENGAGE-PD could help service-users to maintain activity levels, independence and self-management of their Parkinson’s.
All participants will be provided with a summary of the study findings and can choose to be contacted with updates on future related research progress.
There is a minor financial benefit to taking part in the form of a voucher to reimburse participants for their time and expertise.
The main disadvantage to taking part would be participants giving up some of their time to take part in the study. We will aim to run the Nominal Group Technique Meeting at a time that is convenient to them. Preparation for the meeting is anticipated to take up to an hour and each meeting up to two hours.
Where is the study run from?
The study is being conducted by the University of Plymouth (UK). It will take place remotely via secure email, survey and teleconferencing software.
When is the study starting and how long is it set to run for?
The aim is for the meetings to take place between February and June 2026 and for the study to be written up by October 2026.
Who is funding the study?
This research is funded through a National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) doctoral fellowship grant (NIHR 305241) (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Jonathan Gilby, jonathan.gilby@plymouth.ac.uk
Contact information
Principal investigator, Public
School of Health Professions, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, InterCity Place, Plymouth Railway Station, North Road East
Plymouth
PL4 6AB
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-4350-5319 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)7825016312 |
| jonathan.gilby@postgrad.plymouth.ac.uk |
Scientific
School of Health Professions, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, InterCity Place, Plymouth Railway Station, North Road East
Plymouth
PL46AB
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2037-4902 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)1752587590 |
| jonathan.marsden@plymouth.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Observational |
|---|---|
| Observational study design | Cross sectional study |
| Scientific title | Adapting ENGAGE-PD: Adapting the ENGAGE-PD physical activity coaching intervention for individuals newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s to be delivered by physiotherapists in NHS rehabilitation settings: perspectives of healthcare professionals using the Nominal Group Technique consensus method |
| Study objectives | To explore the perspectives of UK NHS Parkinson’s physiotherapy rehabilitation providers on the relative importance of the contents of a version of the ENGAGE-PD physical activity coaching intervention for people with newly diagnosed Parkinson’s. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Not yet submitted |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Perspectives of UK National Health Service (NHS) staff working in neurology and/or healthcare of the elderly services providing NHS physiotherapy rehabilitation services for people with Parkinson's. |
| Intervention | The study methodology can be summarised using the SPIDER framework: S Sample: Six to eight UK NHS Parkinson’s physiotherapy service providers with a minimum of three and a maximum of eight service leads, managers and therapists from each service provider contributing. PI Phenomenon of Interest: Perspectives on a physical activity coaching intervention for people with newly diagnosed Parkinson’s D Design: Nominal Group Technique consensus method meetings (one meeting per service provider) E Evaluation: Sharing ideas, group discussion, voting and ranking R Research Type: Qualitative and survey-based research |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
|
| Completion date | 01/10/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Lower age limit | 20 Years |
| Upper age limit | 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 50 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Service leads with overall responsibility for NHS Parkinson’s rehabilitation services/rehabilitation services that provide therapy for Parkinson’s patients 2. Managers with delegated responsibility for the day-to-day running of NHS Parkinson’s rehabilitation services//rehabilitation services that provide therapy for Parkinson’s patients 3. Physiotherapists with experience of providing NHS Parkinson’s rehabilitation 4. Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists/Parkinson’s Specialist Practitioners who provide a coordination role for multidisciplinary care of Parkinson’s patients at the site |
| Key exclusion criteria | Staff from services that provide no Parkinson’s rehabilitation |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/02/2026 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/06/2026 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
200 Mount Gould Road
Plymouth
PL4 7PY
England
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| IPD sharing plan |
Editorial Notes
01/12/2025: Study's existence confirmed by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (UK).
