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Low Back Pain - What's Next? Stratified Care Compared to Current Practice

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Low Back Pain
Interventions
Other: Stratified care
Other: Current care
Registration Number
NCT02612467
Lead Sponsor
Region of Southern Denmark
Brief Summary

Background Studies in the United Kingdom find the stratified care model of the STarT Back Tool (SBT) to be superior to usual care in primary care low back pain (LBP) patients. However, considerations on differences in health care and social systems across countries are required before taking steps towards any recommendations of implementing stratified care into other health care services.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the stratified care model of the SBT, when embedded into the regional disease management programs on LBP in primary care as compared to current best practice care.

Detailed Description

Methods The study is a two-armed randomized controlled trial in Danish primary health care setting. In total 700 patients are included in the study.

The patients are randomised automatically by a developed database to; 1) Stratified care (treatment matched to stratification according to SBT) or 2) Control treatment (treatment based solely on clinical reasoning).

All data including patient consent is collected and monitored using a web-based data management system.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
333
Inclusion Criteria
  • patients found eligible for referral to physiotherapy by the general practitioner (GP)
  • 18 years and above
  • understand Danish language.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Serious pathology (malignancy, inflammatory arthritis, etc.),
  • serious nerve root compression (cauda equina, paresis <3),
  • influential comorbidity, psychiatric illness, personality disorder, spinal surgery during the last 6 months, pregnancy, or already receiving physiotherapy treatment.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Stratified careStratified carePatients are stratified into low, medium, high risk of poor outcome. Stratified care are delivered by special trained physiotherapists according to risk group
Current careCurrent careTreatment based on clinical judgement, clinical need and patient preferences. No access to guidance tools.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Patient reported change measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire3 and 12 months

Change in disability measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire at 3 and 12 months (RMDQ)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Time off work assessed by the Danish National Register on Public Transfer Payments (DREAM)3 and 12 months

Short and long term time of work is monitored by standardized data from the Danish National Register on Public Transfer Payments (DREAM)

Patient reported global change measured by the questionnaire "Global Impression of Change"3 and 12 months

Patients perception of global change is monitored by the questionnaire "Global Impression of Change"

Cost-effectiveness across study arms measured by the EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire12 months

The health economic analysis will test the cost-effectiveness/cost-utility of SBT against current practice. Patient reported quality of life on the EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire

Change in pain intensity measured on a numeric range scale3 and 12 months

Change in pain intensity is monitored on numeric range scales indicating back and leg pain.

Time off work monitored by standardized patient reported data3 and 12 months

Short and long term time of work is monitored by standardized patient reported data

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Centre for Quality

🇩🇰

Middelfart, Southern Denmark, Denmark

Department of Occ. Medicine

🇩🇰

Herning, Central Region, Denmark

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