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Enrolling by Invitation

NCT Number: NCT06946186

Virtual Senior Center

In a 3-group trial with randomization and follow-up for 12 months, we will compare use of the VSC as well as health and quality of life outcomes among 650 older adults in St. Louis who receive either: (1) home delivered meals AND a GrandPad; (2) home-delivered meals but no GrandPad for 6 months; and (3) in person meals at senior center but no GrandPad.

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Key information

Conditions

Social Isolation in Older Adults Activities of Daily Living Quality of Life (QOL)

Age range

65 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Washington University

St Louis, Missouri, 63101, United States

About this study

The aims of the study are:

  • Recruit 650 older adults in St. Louis into the study - 400 home-delivered meal recipients and 250 receiving in-person meals at senior centers. Describe baseline differences between the two groups in use of senior center programming, technology access and use, and health and quality of life outcomes.
  • Randomly assign the 400 home-delivered meal recipients to get a GrandPad immediately (GP) or 6 months later (GP-6). Compare the GP and GP-6 groups to in-person meal recipients (IP) on: (A) VSC engagement at 6- and 12-month follow-up; and (B) health and quality of life outcomes at 6- and 12-month follow-up.
  • Examine longitudinal changes and hypothesized mediating pathways using 5 waves of data from baseline, 3-,6-,9- and 12-month follow-up. Specifically: (A) in the GP-6 group only, compare VSC engagement, health and quality of life outcomes at 6-month follow-up (a period in which they did not have a GrandPad) to 12-month follow-up (a period in which they did have a GrandPad); (B) examine 12-month trends in GrandPad and VSC engagement, health and quality of life outcomes within and across groups; and (C) test mediation of hypothesized explanatory variables from the study's conceptual framework to examine potential causal pathways for health and quality of life outcomes.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Current Home-delivered meal client with Aging Ahead

Exclusion criteria

  • Under age 65

Treatment and study plan

Virtual Senior Center - GrandPad

Behavioral

The Virtual Senior Center engages older adults in programs and services online with the help of a GrandPad.

Virtual Senior Center - No GrandPad

Behavioral

Participants will be given information to access the website when they are able from their own phone, tablet, or computer.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Social Isolation Scale in Older Adults (Nicholson et al., 2020; The Gerontologist)

    Time frame: 12 month

    This 6-item questionnaire measures the extent to which an individual feels socially unconnected, using 2 related constructs (3 items per construct): quantity of social contacts and sense of relationship. The response options for social contacts ranges from 1 (none) to 5 (6 or more) and the sense of relationship ranges from 1(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The possible summed scores range from 6 to 30, with higher scores indicating less social isolation.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Digital Social Participation (Anderberg et al., 2021; JMIR)

    Time frame: 12 month

    This 6-item questionnaire measures extent to which someone feels that digital technology is beneficial in their life. Response options range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), so total summed scores range from 6 -30. A higher scores indicates more positive perceptions of digital technology.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Washington University School of Medicine

Other

Collaborators

  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Registry information

Official study title

Achieving Digital Equity for Health Improvement in a Virtual Senior Center

Acronym: VSC

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Apr 27, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 17, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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