ArticleBMJ open2018
Can the STarT Back Tool predict health-related quality of life and work ability after an acute/subacute episode with back or neck pain? A psychometric validation study in primary care.
Article in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
WorkUp. Early Structured Care Including Workplace Interventions to Improve Work Ability in Patients With Neck and/or Back Pain. A Prospective Pare Wise Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Primary Care With One Year Follow up
The Effect of STarT Back Screening Tool in Determining Prognosis and Workforce Loss in Patients With Acute-Subacute Low Back Pain and Its Relationship With Kinesiophobia
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predicting Work Disability Related to Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review of the Most Clinically Relevant Tools.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of stratified treatment for back pain in Danish primary care: A randomized controlled trial.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2021Trial
- Risk Stratification in a Tertiary Care Spine Centre: Comparison Between STarTBack and OSPRO-YF Screening Tools.Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada · 2023Article
- The relationship between the Keele STarT back screening tool, the short form of central sensitivity inventory and health-related quality of life in patients with low back pain.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2022Article
- A Scoping Review of Chronic Low Back Pain Classification Schemes Based on Patient-Reported Outcomes.Pain physician · 2022Article
- Development and external validation of a prediction model for patient-relevant outcomes in patients with chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2022Article
- Article
- Observational
- Factor Structure, Validity, and Reliability of the STarT Back Screening Tool in Italian Obese and Non-obese Patients With Low Back Pain.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- Validation of the Subgroups for Targeted Treatment for Back (STarT Back) screening tool at a tertiary care centre.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgieArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe predictive ability of the STarT Back Tool (SBT) has not yet been examined among acute/subacute back and/or neck pain in a primary care setting in respect to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work ability outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the SBT's predictive validity for HRQoL and work ability outcomes at long-term follow-up in a population with acute/subacute back and/or neck pain.
settingProspective data from 35 primary care centres in south Sweden during 2013.
participantsPatients (n=329) with acute/subacute back and/or neck pain, aged 18-67 years, not on sick leave or <60 days of sick leave completed the SBT when applying for physiotherapy treatment. Long-term follow-up measures (median 13 months, range 11-27 months) of HRQoL (EQ-5D) and work ability (Work Ability Score) was completed by 238 patients (72%). OUTCOMES: The predictive ability of the SBT for HRQoL and work ability outcomes was examined using Kruskal-Wallis test, logistic regression and area under the curve (AUC).
resultsBased on SBT risk group stratification, 103 (43%), 107 (45%) and 28 (12%) patients were considered as low, medium and at high risk, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in HRQoL (p<0.001) and work ability (p<0.001) at follow-up between all three SBT risk groups. Patients in the high risk group had a significantly increased risk of having poor HRQoL (OR 6.16, 95% CI 1.50 to 25.26) and poor work ability (OR 5.08, 95% CI 1.75 to 14.71) vs the low risk group at follow-up. The AUC was 0.73 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.84) for HRQoL and 0.68 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.76) for work ability.
conclusionsThe SBT is an appropriate tool for identifying patients with a poor long-term HRQoL and/or work ability outcome in a population with acute/subacute back and/or neck pain, and maybe a useful adjunct to primary care physiotherapy assessment and practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02609750; Results.
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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.