ArticlePeerJ2018
Effectiveness of telephone-based interventions for managing osteoarthritis and spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in PeerJ, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.
- Telerehabilitation for neck pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- EULAR recommendations for the non-pharmacological core management of hip and knee osteoarthritis: 2023 update.Annals of the rheumatic diseases · 2024Guideline
- Telerehabilitation as a Therapeutic Exercise Tool versus Face-to-Face Physiotherapy: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Rehabilitation Professional and Patient Satisfaction with Telerehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review.BioMed research international · 2022Pooled it
- Digital Self-Management Interventions for People With Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Pooled it
- Trial
- Perceptions and Experiences of a Multimodal Rehabilitation Program for People With Post-Acute COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Trial
- Utilization of telemedicine in conjunction with wearable devices for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Cost-Effectiveness of Telehealth-Delivered Exercise and Dietary Weight Loss Programs for Knee Osteoarthritis Within a Twelve-Month Randomized Trial.Arthritis care & research · 2023Trial
- An anti-inflammatory diet intervention for knee osteoarthritis: a feasibility study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Trial
- The effectiveness of social media and in-person interventions for low back pain conditions in nursing personnel (SMILE).Nursing open · 2021Trial
- Lessons learned from the implementation of a video health coaching technology intervention to improve self-care of family caregivers of adults with heart failure.Research in nursing & health · 2021Trial
- Feasibility of the "OA Coach" Mobile App to Support Individuals with Osteoarthritis: Development and Usability Testing.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Implementation of an Australian helpline for low back pain: protocol of a type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Analyzing Physical Activity Patterns, Barriers, and Facilitators Among Medical Students in Kashmir: An Analytical Study.Indian journal of community medicine : official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine · 2025Article
- Use of Remote Consultations by Chiropractors in the United Kingdom During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Journal of chiropractic medicine · 2025Article
- Acceptance, Satisfaction, and Preference With Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2021-2022: Survey Among Patients With Chronic Pain.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- [Remote management of musculoskeletal pain : A pragmatic approach to the implementation of video and phone consultations in musculoskeletal practice. German version].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2023Review
- Implementation of a telerehabilitation program for children with neurodevelopmental disorders during the lockdown caused by COVID-19.The British journal of occupational therapy · 2023Article
- Virtual Tools to Enable Management of Knee Osteoarthritis.Current treatment options in rheumatology · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOsteoarthritis and spinal pain are common and burdensome conditions; however, the majority of patients with these conditions do not receive care that is consistent with clinical practice guidelines. Telehealth models of care have the potential to improve care for osteoarthritis and spinal pain patients. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of verbal real-time telehealth interventions, including telephone-based and videoconferencing interventions to reduce pain intensity and disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip and spinal pain (back or neck pain).
methodsWe searched seven electronic databases from inception to May 2018. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-RCTs, and non-randomised controlled trials were included. Two review authors independently extracted data for each included study. Primary outcomes were pain intensity and disability. We conducted primary meta-analyses combining all conditions with similar interventions and comparators. Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random effects models. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool to assess risk of bias, and GRADE to evaluate the quality of evidence.
resultsWe included 23 studies with 56 trial arms and 4,994 participants. All studies utilised telephone-based interventions. Only two studies used a telephone only approach and the remainder included educational materials and/or face-to-face components. We found no studies utilising videoconferencing. Meta-analysis showed telephone-based interventions (with educational materials) for osteoarthritis and spinal pain improved pain intensity ( DISCUSSION: We are moderately confident that telephone-based interventions reduce pain intensity and disability in patients with osteoarthritis and spinal pain compared to usual care, but telephone plus face-to-face interventions are no more effective than usual care or face-to-face interventions alone.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.