Take part in the PERFORM trial

We are doing this research to determine if exercise-based rehabilitation can help people with multiple long-term conditions. The PERFORM group exercise rehabilitation programme was developed with patients and clinicians to specifically meet the needs of people with multiple long-term conditions.

Research has shown that exercise-based rehabilitation can improve quality of life and reduce the number of hospital visits. Participants in this trial will be randomly allocated to do either the PERFORM rehabilitation programme plus usual care OR usual care alone, and we will be comparing results to see which is better. 

Patients who are invited to take part in this research have two or more long-term health conditions and can benefit from a personalised exercise rehabilitation programme.

The trial will last for one year. There are three trial visits, with one at the start of the trial when participants will find out whether they are doing the PERFORM rehabilitation programme or not. There is a follow-up at three months and another follow-up at 12 months.

The PERFORM programme has two sessions each week for eight weeks - 16 sessions in total. This is a supervised group rehabilitation programme that will be offered at a local healthcare setting. Each session will last for two hours: one hour for the ‘Move and Improve’ exercise component, and one hour for the accompanying ‘Health and Wellbeing’ self-care session. You will be supported by healthcare professionals during these sessions, and provided with a home exercise booklet, a progress tracker and a workbook for the health and wellbeing sessions. 

Physical Assessments 

At the three study visits, your physical health will be tested by looking at how far and fast you can walk, your functional exercise capacity which means your ability to perform physical tasks and activities without feeling tired or breathless, and at the grip strength of your hands. 

Questionnaires 

You will be given a series of questionnaires to complete before or at each of the three study visits. They will be about your symptoms and how they affect your day-to-day activities and how you feel physically and mentally. All the questionnaires are already used in different areas of health.

We have opened multiple sites across the country:

• Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust
• Glenfield Leicester
• Reach for Health in Daventry

If you live close to one of the sites, please get in touch with us on performLCTU@leicester.ac.uk and we will pass your details on to the local study team.