Triaging Patients With Musculoskeletal Disorders Directly to Physiotherapists at Primary Health Care Clinics.

Not Applicable

Terminated

• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Interventions: Other: Initially triaged to physiotherapist; Other: Initially triaged to physician

• Registration Number: NCT02218749
• Lead Sponsor: Göteborg University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether initial triaging to physiotherapists of patients with musculoskeletal disorders who seek health care from primary care clinics affects the patients health and/or health care utilization differently than initial consultation with a general practitioner.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-08
• Study First Submitted: 2014-08-15
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-08-15
• Study First Posted: 2014-08-18
• Primary Completion: 2018-03
• Study Completion: 2019-03
• Status Verified: 2019-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-04-25
• Last Update Posted: 2019-04-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 55

Inclusion Criteria

• seeking primary care clinic for musculoskeletal disorder
• age 16-67 years
• speaks enough Swedish or English to understand the patient information and complete the questionnaires
• triage nurse judges it suitable to triage participant to physiotherapist

Exclusion Criteria

• has received treatment at the clinic by physician or physiotherapist during the preceding month for the same problem
• seeking for chronic musculoskeletal disorder with unchanged symptoms the latest 3 months and for which the patient has already tried physiotherapy
• seeking for help with medical aids other than crutches
• is in need of home care
• has been included in the study earlier

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Initially triaged to physiotherapist	Initially triaged to physiotherapist	Initially triaged to physiotherapist
Initially triaged to physician	Initially triaged to physician	Initially triaged to physician

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of physician visits	1 year
Change in self-evaluated level of pain latest week (0-10 scale)	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in experience of functional difficulty measured with DRI scale	1 year
Prescriptions för analgesics for the actual musculoskeletal disorder	1 year	Received any prescriptions. Number of prescriptions. Number of occasions prescriptions were received. Type of prescription(s) received.
Number of physiotherapist visits	1 year
Number of days of sick-leave	1 year
Changes in attitudes regarding responsibility for musculoskeletal disorders measured with ARM scale	1 year
Risk for developing chronic pain measured with the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire	1 year
Number of referrals for external examinations and to specialists	1 year
Changes in health-related quality of life measured with EQ-5D	1 year
Change in self-evaluated level of pain latest week (0-10 scale)	1 year

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Närhälsan Eriksberg Health centre; 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Sweden

Närhälsan Kyrkbyn Health centre; 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Sweden

Närhälsan Biskopsgården Health centre; 🇸🇪 Gothenburg, Sweden