People with Parkinson’s disease want the choice to attend exercise groups in person or from home, but no one has tested whether a single group can run both formats at the same time. This matters because Parkinson’s symptoms worsen without regular physical activity, yet many patients cannot travel to classes due to mobility issues, rural location, or lack of transport. Online-only groups emerged during the pandemic, but patients report missing the social connection and instructor feedback of in-person sessions. A hybrid model—where some participants attend in person while others join the same session remotely—could bridge that gap, but researchers do not yet know whether it is practical, acceptable, or sustainable. The Power-PD study will test exactly that. Over two years, the team will first review existing evidence, then run a small feasibility trial with 12 weeks of hybrid group exercise. They will measure whether patients stick with the programme, whether instructors can manage both formats, and whether the approach is worth the cost. If the hybrid model works, it could lead to a larger trial and eventually give thousands of people with Parkinson’s a flexible, long-term way to keep exercising—without forcing them to choose between convenience and quality of care.
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Background Exercise is strongly advocated as a tool for managing Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms with growing evidence supporting it. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and wider accessibility issues, people with PD (PwP) have utilised online exercise groups. What is known is that PwP want both online and in-person options for group exercise. Little is known about combining an in-person and online (hybrid) format which may improve equity of access to exercise. Power-PD is an exercise group for PwP, designed to offer flexible access through attending in-person or remotely from home, and develop long-term exercise habits. We want to test whether Power-PD can help PwP sustain exercise for longer through developing these habits and integrating them into their lives, and understand the mechanisms that help them do that. Research question Is it possible to deliver a study exploring a hybrid exercise intervention (Power-PD) to support PwP to sustain physical activity habits? Aim Evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Power-PD to support sustained physical activity habits in people with PD. Objectives: 1. Explore the existing literature on hybrid formats of group exercise for PwP and work with them and clinical stakeholders to inform and refine the core components of Power-PD. 2. To identify knowledge and skills needed to deliver Power-PD and develop a logic model to understand and predict key mechanisms of change. 3. To determine the acceptability and fidelity of Power-PD to support sustained physical activity habits in PwP. 4. To determine the feasibility of collecting clinical, economic and qualitative data to inform future research on the cost effectiveness of Power-PD. Methods WP1 - To complete a scoping review exploring existing literature on hybrid interventions for PwP to refine the core components of Power-PD and logic modelling. This will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and include a three-step search strategy. Data will be extracted and presented in tables and summarised narratively following critical appraisal. WP2 - A feasibility study will assess the acceptability, fidelity, and feasibility of Power-PD. This will be a randomised, single site study with pre and post-test design using mixed methods. Participants will be randomised to Power-PD or a wait-list control. Convenience sampling will recruit participants with early-mid stage PD who will participate in a 12-week exercise and peer self-management intervention. Timeline for delivery Year 1: PPI activities. WP1 protocol registration and publication, data collection & analysis. Ethical approval, site set-up and training and protocol publication for WP2. Year 2: PPI activities. WP1 outputs & dissemination. WP2 implementation, data collection, data analysis, ongoing training and support for practitioners delivering intervention. Year 3: PPI activities. WP2 data collection, data analysis, feedback, outputs & dissemination. Thesis completion and dissemination. Future study protocol development. Impact and dissemination If feasible the findings will inform a definitive trial to measure effectiveness and cost effectiveness generating data for power calculations, intervention content and a refined logic model. Findings will be shared through publication in academic journals, conference presentations and talks to PwP and their families through the Parkinson's UK charity.
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