An App-based Versus a Web-based Self-management Intervention or Usual Care in People With Low Back and/or Neck Pain on a Waiting List for Hospital-based Outpatient Rehabilitation

NCT ID: NCT04463043

Last Updated: 2022-09-23

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

294 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-07-09

Study Completion Date

2021-12-03

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an individually tailored self-management intervention, the selfBACK app, in improving health status in patients on a waiting list for outpatient rehabilitation due to low back and/or neck pain compared to a non-tailored web-based self-management solution (e-Help) and usual care only.

Detailed Description

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Patients on waiting list for treatment at the multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for back, neck and shoulder rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway, due to low back and/or neck pain are the target group for this study. The average waiting time for receiving treatment is 8-10 weeks. The use of digital solutions can be a beneficial approach to support self-management during the waiting period. Therefore, the effectiveness of these tools in this patients group needs to be evaluated.

A total of 279 participants will be recruited and randomly allocated to one of the three groups: 1) the selfBACK app in addition to usual care; 2) the e-Help webpage in addition to usual care; and 3) usual care only. Participants who receive either the selfBACK app and the e-Help webpage will be allowed to seek care, treatment or help elsewhere as usual.

Self-reported outcome measures will be collected through web-based questionnaires at three follow-up time points: 1) 6 weeks; 2) 3 months (primary endpoint); and 3) 6 months. In addition, participants receiving the selfBACK app will be asked a set of weekly tailoring questions to individualize self-management plans. Objective registry based data linked to social security number in Norway will be used to investigate health care consumption and sickness absence at 1 year (and up to 5 years).

Conditions

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Back Pain Neck Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
This study is a single-blinded trial. Participants and health personnel at the clinic will not be blinded to group allocation, whereas researchers performing the analysis and the interpretation of the results will be blinded to group allocation. Once the study is completed, the data will be extracted from the database in anonymized form for statistical analyses, i.e. all personal information that may identify specific participants or group allocation will be removed and the intervention and control groups will be randomly labelled as A, B and C.

Study Groups

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SelfBACK app

The selfBACK app in addition to usual care

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SelfBACK app

Intervention Type DEVICE

The selfBACK is an evidence-based and data-driven decision support system (DSS) to support self-management of low back and neck pain delivered via a smartphone app. The selfBACK app provides individually tailored self-management plans to participants on a weekly basis by matching the participant's health information with targeted educational messages, physical activity advices and exercise recommendations via the DSS.

Usual care

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care refers to seeking care or receiving treatments or help as usual.

e-Help webpage

The e-Help webpage in addition to usual care

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

e-Help webpage

Intervention Type OTHER

The e-Help is an evidence-based web-based resource to support self-management of low back and neck pain. The e-Help webpage provides evidence-based self-management content equivalent to the selfBACK including educational messages, physical activity and exercise recommendations. Instructions on how to compose exercise programs will be given to participants, however no tailored self-management support will be offered in this solution.

Usual care

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care refers to seeking care or receiving treatments or help as usual.

Usual care

Usual care only

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual care

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care refers to seeking care or receiving treatments or help as usual.

Interventions

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SelfBACK app

The selfBACK is an evidence-based and data-driven decision support system (DSS) to support self-management of low back and neck pain delivered via a smartphone app. The selfBACK app provides individually tailored self-management plans to participants on a weekly basis by matching the participant's health information with targeted educational messages, physical activity advices and exercise recommendations via the DSS.

Intervention Type DEVICE

e-Help webpage

The e-Help is an evidence-based web-based resource to support self-management of low back and neck pain. The e-Help webpage provides evidence-based self-management content equivalent to the selfBACK including educational messages, physical activity and exercise recommendations. Instructions on how to compose exercise programs will be given to participants, however no tailored self-management support will be offered in this solution.

Intervention Type OTHER

Usual care

Usual care refers to seeking care or receiving treatments or help as usual.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* On waiting list for treatment at the multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for back, neck and shoulder rehabilitation, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway due to low back pain and/or neck pain
* Own and use a smartphone with internet access to download the mobile application
* Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

* Less than 4 weeks waiting time until scheduled appointment at clinic (i.e., patients prioritized for urgent treatment/examination)
* Unable to take part in exercise/physical activity, e.g. non-ambulatory patients, use of walking aids, unable to get up and down the floor independently
* Unable to speak and/or read Norwegian
* Unable to complete the baseline questionnaire
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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St. Olavs Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Siri Forsmo, phd prof

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Locations

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Tverrfaglig poliklinikk rygg/nakke/skulder, St. Olavs Hospital

Trondheim, , Norway

Site Status

Countries

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Norway

References

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Marcuzzi A, Bach K, Nordstoga AL, Bertheussen GF, Ashikhmin I, Boldermo NO, Kvarner EN, Nilsen TIL, Marchand GH, Ose SO, Aasdahl L, Kaspersen SL, Bardal EM, Borke JB, Mork PJ, Gismervik S. Individually tailored self-management app-based intervention (selfBACK) versus a self-management web-based intervention (e-Help) or usual care in people with low back and neck pain referred to secondary care: protocol for a multiarm randomised clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2021 Sep 13;11(9):e047921. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047921.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34518253 (View on PubMed)

Marcuzzi A, Klevanger NE, Aasdahl L, Gismervik S, Bach K, Mork PJ, Nordstoga AL. An Artificial Intelligence-Based App for Self-Management of Low Back and Neck Pain in Specialist Care: Process Evaluation From a Randomized Clinical Trial. JMIR Hum Factors. 2024 Jul 9;11:e55716. doi: 10.2196/55716.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38980710 (View on PubMed)

Marcuzzi A, Nordstoga AL, Bach K, Aasdahl L, Nilsen TIL, Bardal EM, Boldermo NO, Falkener Bertheussen G, Marchand GH, Gismervik S, Mork PJ. Effect of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Self-Management App on Musculoskeletal Health in Patients With Neck and/or Low Back Pain Referred to Specialist Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2320400. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.20400.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37368401 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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64084

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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