Ibedrift- A Trial Comparing a New Approach to Musculoskeletal Pain Consisting of Education and Peer Involvement to Treatment as Usual

NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3; Phase 2

Conditions: Back Pain Lower Back; Neck Pain Musculoskeletal

Treatments: Behavioral: Information, peer advisor and fast referral; Behavioral: Information and Peer advisor

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00741650

801622-611704

18997 (Other Identifier)

S-08054b (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomized controlled trial comparing a new approach to musculoskeletal pain consisting of education and peer involvement to treatment as usual. All local government employees in 1-3 Norwegian municipalities will be invited to participate.

Full description

The purpose of the study is to systematically test a new treatment method for musculoskeletal pain in Norway. The intervention focuses on attempting to treat musculoskeletal pain outside the traditional medical system as much as possible, to avoid the establishment of a patient identity and passive patient behavior. In addition, participants are given reasons to stay active, and not advice to stay active.

Ibedrift is a randomized controlled trial with the aim of studying the effect of a new treatment regime for musculoskeletal pain, focusing on didactic information about low back pain with peer support. Those participants not in the control group will have the option of contacting a peer advisor, a non health professional trained by the iBedrift crew to give information about back pain and reasons to stay active. For those who have not recovered within a short period of time, and who are randomized to full treatment, the peer advisor can send them directly to health personnel for a brief intervention consisting of a medical examination with screening for conditions that need treatment, counseling and education.

The intervention was done in 2 Norwegian municipalities for all local government employees. Randomization was done at the level of working units (schools, offices etc) which allows for more message containment.

Enrollment: 2,097 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All employees above 18 years

Exclusion criteria

• Cancer
• Known congenital musculoskeletal disease
• Cauda equina syndrome

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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2,097 participants in 3 patient groups

1

Experimental group

Description:

Information and peer advisor

Treatment:

Behavioral: Information and Peer advisor

2

Experimental group

Description:

Information, peer advisor and referral to further treatment

Treatment:

Behavioral: Information, peer advisor and fast referral

3

No Intervention group

Description:

Treatment as usual