Person-Centred AI Support in Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation for Chronic Pain
NCT ID: NCT07081737
Last Updated: 2025-07-23
Study Results
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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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
400 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2026-05-01
2029-03-31
Brief Summary
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The trial includes 400 adult patients with chronic pain, enrolled at 20 IDT clinics randomized to either CDSS-supported or standard IDT. The study has three phases: feasibility, effectiveness, and implementation. The primary outcome is a patient-prioritized composite single-index of health-related well-being, based on domains such as pain, sleep, physical and mental health, emotional distress, and work ability. Patients prioritize these domains together with their clinical team, enabling a person-centred assessment. Secondary outcomes include HRQoL (EQ-5D, SF-36), emotional distress (HADS), and work ability (WAI), measured at baseline, post-treatment, 6- and 12-month follow-up.
A parallel mixed-methods process evaluation will examine implementation outcomes such as usability, clinician adherence, and workflow integration, using logs, surveys (e.g., S-NoMAD), and interviews. Normalization Process Theory guides the analysis. Cost-utility will be assessed using QALYs and ICERs from a societal perspective, with long-term projections using simulation models. Results will be reported in peer-reviewed publications.
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Detailed Description
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Phase 1: Development, validation, and feasibility By the end of 2025, the CDSS-developed in an ongoing project-will be ready for clinical testing. It is based on predictive models trained on registry-linked data from over 100,000 patients in the Swedish Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation (SQRP), linked to several national registers, including the National Patient Register, the Prescribed Drug Register, the Social Insurance Agency database (MiDAS), and the Cause of Death Register. The system provides personalized forecasts for treatment outcomes, long-term work ability, and healthcare use. A pilot cluster-RCT will be conducted at 10 clinics (5 patients per site) to evaluate feasibility outcomes such as recruitment, retention, usability, data completeness, and workflow fit. These will be assessed using structured surveys, usage data, and interviews. Outcome measures will be collected at baseline, immediately after the intervention (i.e., up to 18 weeks after baseline), and at 12-month follow-up. While a typical interdisciplinary rehabilitation program lasts 6-8 weeks, some clinics may extend the intervention up to 18 weeks (with less treatment occasions per week) due to their ordinary and existing treatment procedures at that specific clinic. Published results indicate however no significant differences in treatment outcomes based on such extended program duration (Tseli et al., 2020). No major changes to the CDSS algorithm or interface are planned during the trial.
Phase 2: Clinical effectiveness and health economic evaluation The full evaluation will be conducted through a non-registry-based cluster randomized controlled trial involving 400 patients across 20 interdisciplinary rehabilitation clinics. Outcomes will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for time, group, clustering, and covariates. The primary endpoint is at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, up to 18 weeks after baseline (i.e., immediately post intervention), and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Health economic analyses will include within-trial cost-utility evaluation (QALYs from EQ-5D and SF-36) and longer-term modelling using Markov or microsimulation methods. Both direct (healthcare) and indirect (productivity loss) costs will be included. Sensitivity analyses will address uncertainty and robustness.
Phase 3: Implementation research A mixed-methods process evaluation will examine real-world adoption, scalability, and sustainability. Data will include system logs (e.g., reach, fidelity), survey responses (S-NoMAD), and interviews with clinicians and decision-makers. Analysis is guided by Normalization Process Theory, focusing on coherence (understanding), cognitive participation (engagement), collective action (integration), and reflexive monitoring (clinical utility). This structure enables a rigorous, practice-oriented evaluation of AI support in pain rehabilitation, integrating clinical, economic, and implementation perspectives to guide responsible and scalable integration into healthcare.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
DOUBLE
Study Groups
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Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) + Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)
Participants in this arm receive standard interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) for complex chronic pain, supported by a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS). The CDSS provides individualized prognostic and predictive outputs using advanced AI-clustered models trained on linked national registry data. Clinicians access the CDSS through a secure interface integrated into clinical workflows, offering data-driven support for person-centred treatment planning and goal setting. The intervention is designed to enhance decision-making, treatment precision, and long-term outcomes such as work ability, well-being, and quality of life. The CDSS is used by the care team prior to and during the rehabilitation program.
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) + Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) combined with Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT)
Participants in this control-arm receive standard interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) for complex chronic pain. IDT is delivered by a coordinated team of healthcare professionals-typically including physicians, psychologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists-and is based on evidence-informed rehabilitation protocols. The program emphasizes biopsychosocial assessment, goal setting, and individually tailored interventions aimed at improving function, coping, and quality of life. No use of the Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) is included in this arm.
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT)
Interventions
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Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) + Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT) combined with Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT)
Interdisciplinary treatment (IDT)
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Diagnosed with chronic non-malignant pain persisting longer than 3 months
* Pain condition includes, but is not limited to: fibromyalgia, widespread pain, back pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain
* Eligible for and referred to interdisciplinary rehabilitation (IDT) at a participating clinic
* Willing and able to participate in digital assessment and follow-up procedures
* Able to communicate and complete study materials in Swedish
* Provides written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
* Pain caused by systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions
* Severe psychiatric conditions interfering with study participation (e.g., untreated psychosis or severe depression requiring immediate psychiatric care)
* Documented cognitive impairment limiting ability to understand study participation or complete self-reported measures
* Currently enrolled in another interventional clinical trial that may confound the outcomes of this study
* Not expected to remain in the clinic's follow-up system for the duration of the study
18 Years
67 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Bjorn Ang
OTHER
Göteborg University
OTHER
Forte
INDUSTRY
Dalarna County Council, Sweden
OTHER
Karolinska Institutet
OTHER
The Swedish Research Council
OTHER_GOV
Responsible Party
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Bjorn Ang
Professor
Principal Investigators
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Björn O Äng, Professor
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Dalarna University
Locations
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Dalarna University
Falun, Dalarna County, Sweden
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Related Links
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Research project/group
Other Identifiers
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2023-04532-01
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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