Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29246257›Full record

Trial reportBMC public health2017

Comparing multidisciplinary and brief intervention in employees with different job relations on sick leave due to low back pain: protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Pernille Pedersen, Claus Vinther Nielsen, Morten Hovgaard Andersen, Vivian Langagergaard, Anders Boes, Ole Kudsk Jensen, Chris Jensen, Merete Labriola

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Models of care for managing non-specific low back pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Pernille PedersenDEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, Aarhus, Denmark. Pernille.Pedersen@stab.rm.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2011-7877
Claus Vinther NielsenSection of Clinical Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, P.P. Oerums Gade 11, 1B, Silkeborg, 8600, Aarhus, Denmark.
Morten Hovgaard AndersenSpine Center, Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Silkeborg, Denmark.
Vivian LangagergaardSpine Center, Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Silkeborg, Denmark.
Anders BoesSpine Center, Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Silkeborg, Denmark.
Ole Kudsk JensenSpine Center, Diagnostic Center, Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Silkeborg, Denmark.
Chris JensenDepartment of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
Merete LabriolaSection of Clinical Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, P.P. Oerums Gade 11, 1B, Silkeborg, 8600, Aarhus, Denmark.
Regionshospitalet Silkeborg · DKAarhus University · DKCentral Denmark Region · DKNorwegian University of Science and Technology · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLow back pain (LBP) is a common problem that affects the lives of many individuals and is a frequent cause of sickness absence. To help this group of individuals resume work, several interventions have been studied. However, not all individuals may profit from the same intervention and the effect of a given intervention on return to work (RTW) may depend on their work situation. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether employees on sick leave due to LBP and with poor job relations will benefit more from a multidisciplinary intervention, while patients with strong job relations will benefit more from a brief intervention.

methodsThe study is designed as a randomised controlled trial with up to five years of follow-up comparing brief intervention with brief intervention plus multidisciplinary intervention. Employees, aged 18-60 years, are included in the study from March 2011 to August 2016 if they have been on sick leave for 4-12 weeks due to LBP with or without radiculopathy. They are divided into two groups, a group with poor job relations and a group with strong job relations based on their answers in the baseline questionnaire. Each group is randomised 1:1 to receive the brief intervention or brief intervention plus multidisciplinary intervention. The brief intervention comprises a clinical examination and advice offered by a rheumatologist and a physiotherapist, whereas the supplementary multidisciplinary intervention comprises the assignment of a case manager who draws up a rehabilitation plan in collaboration with the participant and the multidisciplinary team. The primary outcome is duration of sickness absence measured by register data. Secondary outcomes include sustainable RTW and questionnaire-based measures of functional capacity. Outcomes will be assessed at one, two and five years of follow-up. DISCUSSION: This trial will evaluate the effect of brief and multidisciplinary intervention on RTW and functional capacity among employees on sick leave due to LBP with poor or strong job relations. This will indicate whether work-related characteristics should be considered when providing treatment of LBP patients in the health care sector.

trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN14136384 . Registered 4 August 2015.

Indexed as

Job SatisfactionAdolescentAdultFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedOccupational Health ServicesReturn to WorkSick LeaveSurveys and QuestionnairesTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultBrief interventionJob relationsLow back painMultidisciplinary interventionReturn to workSick leave

Identifiers

PMID29246257
PMCPMC5732442
OpenAlexW2775083854

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.