Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34243746›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021

Effectiveness of a coordinated support system linking public hospitals to a health coaching service compared with usual care at discharge for patients with chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Emma K Ho, Manuela L Ferreira, Adrian Bauman, Paul W Hodges, Christopher G Maher, Milena Simic, Rachael L Morton, Chris Lonsdale, Qiang Li, Melissa T Baysari and 10 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% 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, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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

20 authors at 10 institutions in 2 countries.

Emma K HoThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia. emma.ho@sydney.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2479-0081
Manuela L FerreiraThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Adrian BaumanThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Paul W HodgesThe University of Queensland, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Christopher G MaherInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Milena SimicThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Rachael L MortonNHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
Chris LonsdaleFaculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Qiang LiThe George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Melissa T BaysariDiscipline of Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health, School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Anita B AmorimThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Dragana CeprnjaPhysiotherapy Department, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Ornella ClavisiMusculoskeletal Australia, Muscle Bone & Joint Health Ltd, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Mark HallidayConcord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Matthew JenningsSouth Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Alice KongstedDepartment of Sports Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Katherine MakaPhysiotherapy Department, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Kate ReidThe Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Tahlia ReynoldsThe Centre for Population Health, NSW Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Paulo H FerreiraThe University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUNew South Wales Department of Health · AUWestmead Hospital · AUAustralian Catholic University · AUConcord Repatriation General Hospital · AUInstitute for Musculoskeletal Health · AUSouth Western Sydney Local Health District · AUThe University of Queensland · AUUniversity of Southern Denmark · DKUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council APP1180474Western Sydney Local Health District N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough many people with chronic low back pain (LBP) improve following conservative treatment, one in five will experience worsening symptoms after discharge from treatment and seek health care again. The current LBP clinical care pathway in many health services lacks a well-integrated, systematic approach to support patients to remain physically active and self-manage their symptoms following discharge from treatment. Health coaching can support people to improve physical activity levels and may potentially reduce health care utilisation for LBP. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of introducing a coordinated support system (linking hospital outpatient physiotherapy services to a public health coaching service) at discharge from LBP treatment, on the future use of hospital, medical, and health services for LBP, compared with usual care provided at discharge.

methodsThree hundred and seventy-four adults with chronic non-specific LBP will be recruited from the outpatient physiotherapy departments of public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Participants will be individually randomised to a support system (n = 187) or usual care group (n = 187). All participants will receive usual care provided at discharge from treatment. Participants allocated to the support system will also receive up to 10 telephone-based health coaching sessions, delivered by the Get Healthy Service®, over a 6-month period. Health coaches will monitor and support participants to improve physical activity levels and achieve personal health-related goals. The primary outcome is the total number of encounters with hospital, medical, and health services for LBP, at 12 months from baseline. A within-trial economic evaluation will quantify the incremental costs and benefits of the support system from a health system perspective, to support reimbursement decision making. DISCUSSION: This study will establish the effect of a coordinated support system, introduced at discharge from treatment, on the future use of hospital, medical, and health services for LBP and various health outcomes.

conclusionInnovative community-driven solutions to support people with chronic LBP after discharge from treatment are urgently needed. Study findings will help inform health care policy and clinical practice in Australia.

trial registrationProspectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12620000889954 ) on 10/09/2020.

Indexed as

Low Back PainMentoringAdultAustraliaHospitals, PublicHumansNew South WalesPatient DischargeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeChronic low back painHealth coachingRandomised controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID34243746
PMCPMC8272287
OpenAlexW3181342844

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.