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Musculoskeletal DiseasesNCT01346423

Interdisciplinary Intervention Versus Brief Intervention for Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain

A study testing Interdisciplinary intervention in people with Musculoskeletal Diseases, run by Sykehuset Innlandet HF at 1 site in Norway.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Musculoskeletal pain is very common in the normal population, and the reason for about 50 % of the long term sickness absence in Norway. Most of these patients have common, but troublesome subjective health complaints where pathological findings are absent or substantially less than expected compared to the reported… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 20 to 60 years
Conditions the study is for
Musculoskeletal Diseases
What is being tested?
Interdisciplinary intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
284 participants
Where
1 siteNorway
Study dates
Mar 2011to Jan 2014
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 20 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Musculoskeletal diagnosis
  • Minimum 50% sick leave from work for not more than one year
  • Minimum 50 % employed

Who cannot join

  • Not sicklisted
  • Sicklisted less than 50%
  • Sicklisted > 1 year
  • Less than 50% employed
  • Pregnancy
  • Does not speak Norwegian
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Psychiatric disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Cancer disease
  • Rheumatic disease
  • Ongoing Insurance Compensation Case

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Norway1 site
  • Dep. of Physica. Medicin and Rehabilitation, Innlandet Hospital Trust

    Ottestad, Ottestad, 2312

Other trials in Norway

About this study

Official title: Is Interdisciplinary Intervention for Patients Sicklisted With Musculoskeletal Pain More Effective in Helping Patients Back to Work Than Than The Less Resource Demanding Brief Intervention Method?

Musculoskeletal pain is very common in the normal population, and the reason for about 50 % of the long term sickness absence in Norway. Most of these patients have common, but troublesome subjective health complaints where pathological findings are absent or substantially less than expected compared to the reported intensity of the complaints. Psychosocial factors are important in the development of chronic complaints. In a large meta-analysis job satisfaction was found to be associated with mental health and subjective physical health. Individual factors are also important. Uncertainty related to the understanding of pain mechanisms, treatment strategies and management contribute to the problem.

Among patients sicklisted for musculoskeletal complaints, low back pain is the largest diagnose group. Most of these patients also have many other complaints. Previous studies have shown that for low back pain patients a brief intervention at a spine clinic with examination, information, reassurance, and encouragement to engage in physical activity as normal as possible, had significant effect in reducing sick leave. Other studies have shown that multidisciplinary rehabilitation for chronic low back pain has effect on sick leave. A Danish study from Arbeidsmiljøinstituttet report that interdisciplinary treatment for patients sicklisted for musculoskeletal complaints, had effect on socio-economic costs, pain, and function.

Read more

A treatment team consisting of various professionals is expensive, and in this study we will compare the simple, standardized brief intervention model with the more resource demanding interdisciplinary treatment for patients sicklisted for musculoskeletal complaints.

Research question / hypothesis: An interdisciplinary treatment model for musculoskeletal complaints - is it beneficial for reducing sickness absence?

Read the detailed description

In 2007 The Government in Norway raised a fund to support efforts to reduce sickness absence, called "Raskere tilbake prosjekt". Helse Sør-Øst was invited to establish projects within their health care system, and the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Sykehuset Innlandet HF was assigned the task to constitute an outpatient-clinic for musculoskeletal diseases.

This initiative opened possibilities to explore new strategies based on science and own clinical experience to help these patients back to work without being confined to the traditional diagnose related examination and treatment offered in most clinics. In this project the main focus is directed towards work and barriers for working life. Because sickness absence often is multicausal and needs a bio-psycho-social approach, this should be reflected in the composition of the treatment team.

There is a great demand to make out how complex bio-psycho-social problems can be solved, organized, implemented, and have economic gains for the society. To answer these questions we need randomized controlled clinical studies, and we need documentation when new treatment models are offered to this group of patients.

Being tested
Interdisciplinary intervention, Control Group, Brief Intervention
Keywords
Sick leave, musculoskeletal pain, return to work, multidisciplinary intervention, randomised controlled trial
Medical subject headings
Musculoskeletal Diseases, Musculoskeletal Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Interdisciplinary interventionBehavioural

    Also called ISIVET, visual educational tool, interdisciplinary structured interview, multidisciplinary intervention

    Interdisciplinary collaboration deals with tasks often complex which require different skills to make a wide assessment.In this study the treatment team consists of a physician, a physiotherapist and a social service worker. The main goal for the team is to make a survey of the patient's situation, in which the biomedical tradition to make a diagnosis is replaced by a disability diagnosis, with systematically identification of barriers for return to work. The conclusion of the team will be followed by a targeted rehabilitation plan. Factors assessed to be the major cause of the reduced function at work will have priority in the following rehabilitation process. One of the team members will be responsible for the further process to follow the plan to help the patient back to work, in cooperation with the patient, the workplace, the general practitioner, and NAV.

  • Control Group, Brief InterventionBehavioural

    The brief intervention is a standardized intervention and the essential features are interview and examination by a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Patients will be given time to express their concerns and problems in daily activities. The examination is thorough with detailed feedback on findings and normal functions, and clear and consistent explanations on pain and defense mechanisms. Somatic findings will be explained.Unless pathological findings, the patient will be encouraged to physical activity.

Study groups in NCT01346423
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention groupExperimentalTreatment team with a physician, a physiotherapist, a social service worker. The main goal for the team is to make a survey of the patient's situation, in which the biomedical tradition to make a diagnosis is replaced by a disability diagnosis, with systematically identification of barriers for return to work. The patient meets at the outpatient clinic three times; at baseline, after 2 weeks and after 3 months. One year after baseline the patient has a telephone-follow-up. At baseline, the patient and the team works out a rehabilitation plan and in this process a new visual, educational tool is central.
Receives: Behavioral: Interdisciplinary intervention
Controll groupActive comparatorThe brief intervention is a standardized intervention based on the studies by Indahl and Hagen. Therapist treatment manuals will be written for the intervention. The essential features are interview and examination by a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Patients will be given time to express their concerns and problems in daily activities. Unless symptoms and clinical findings indicate some serious disease, the patients will be informed about the good prognosis, and the importance of staying active to avoid development of muscle dysfunction.
Receives: Behavioral: Control Group, Brief Intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Sickness leave 1 year after inclusion

    In addition to the main outcome we will also evaluate job satisfaction, social support, coping, defense mechanisms, illness perception, function level, activity of daily living, psychological distress, and health complaints/pain as recorded by the questionnaires at baseline.

    Measured: At 12 months after baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 May 2011 (estimated)
  2. Study startMar 2011
  3. Primary completionJan 2013
  4. Study completionJan 2014

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
284 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01346423
Sponsor's protocol ID
150160
Status last verified
Mar 2011
First submitted
14 Apr 2011
Last updated
3 Aug 2016
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Brendbekken R, Eriksen HR, Grasdal A, Harris A, Hagen EM, Tangen T. Return to Work in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Multidisciplinary Intervention Versus Brief Intervention: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Occup Rehabil. 2017 Mar;27(1):82-91. doi: 10.1007/s10926-016-9634-5.

    PubMed 26910406

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Interdisciplinary intervention in people with Musculoskeletal Diseases, run by Sykehuset Innlandet HF at 1 site in Norway.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Norway. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Sickness leave 1 year after inclusion (time frame: At 12 months after baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01346423, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2016.

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