Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41385138›Full record

ArticleJournal of occupational rehabilitation2025

Expanding the Focus on Work Factors in an Outpatient Setting: Does a Nudge of Patients and Clinicians have an Effect on Return-to-Work and Benefits? Findings from the NSAC Nudge Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial.

Ingvild Bardal, Nils Abel Prestegård Aars, Laurent Olivier Trichet, Oda Lekve Brandseth, Christoffer Terjesen, Eirik Irgens, Bernt Ole Hansen, Aina Kristoffersen, Anje Höper, Odd Rune Jenssen and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05006976 (A Naturalistic Trial of Nudging Patients and Clinicians in the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinics- The NSAC Nudge Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT05006976 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

A Naturalistic Trial of Nudging Patients and Clinicians in the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinics- The NSAC Nudge Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorNordlandssykehuset HFRan2021 to 2033Enrolled1,180ConditionsMusculoskeletal Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, FatigueArmsNSAC health only, NSAC health + MBW
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

12 authors.

Ingvild Bardal *Centre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway. Ingvild.Bardal@nordlandssykehuset.no.
Nils Abel Prestegård Aars *Centre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway.
Laurent Olivier TrichetCentre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway.
Oda Lekve BrandsethCentre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway.
Christoffer TerjesenHelseIArbeid, University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Eirik IrgensHelseIArbeid, Helsepartner Rehabilitering, Alta, Norway.
Bernt Ole HansenHelseIArbeid, Nordland Hospital Trust, Bodø, Norway.
Aina KristoffersenHelseIArbeid, Finnmark Hospital Trust, Kirkenes, Norway.
Anje HöperDepartment of Community Medicine, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Odd Rune JenssenHelseIArbeid, Helgeland Hospital Trust, Sandnessjøen, Norway.
Beate BrinchmannCentre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway.
Arnstein MykletunCentre for Work and Mental Health, Nordlandssykehuset HF, Bodø, Norway.

Funding

Helse Nord Regional Health Authority HNF1566-21Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration #21/2129
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of the study was to test the effects of a nudge on patients return-to-work (RTW) and benefits in a clinical service aimed to promote RTW and prevent sickness absence in patients referred for musculoskeletal disorders or mental illness.

methodsThe study was a multicentre, single-blinded, parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial design. The setting was five outpatient clinics in Northern Norway, offering a work-focussed treatment to patients referred for common mental- and/or musculoskeletal disorders. Patients were randomised to receive either a questionnaire mapping health factors only, or a questionnaire mapping also Motivation for work, Barriers for return-to-work and Work environment (MBW). Clinicians were also nudged by receiving patient reports based on the patient survey. Data on sickness absence and benefits was retrieved from national registries after one year of follow-up.

resultsAmong 1171 patients consenting to participate in the study, 1091 were eligible for inclusion in the main analyses. The intervention group (n = 558) did not differ significantly from the control group (n = 533) with respect to key variables at baseline. The nudge had no effect on days of sickness absence, return to work rates, or disability benefits during follow-up.

conclusionThis attempt to nudge patients and clinicians on MBW factors did not influence RTW or benefits during one year of follow-up. Although MBW factors were prevalent at baseline, the results suggest that increasing work focus in a setting where clinicians already address these factors to some extent has little effect.

trial registrationThe trial was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov on August 9th, 2021. Trial identifier NCT05006976 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05006976 ). In this study we report on the primary outcome listed as "Functional recovery: sickness absence registry data".

Indexed as

Mental healthMusculoskeletal disordersReturn- to- workSickness absenceWork factors

Identifiers

PMID41385138

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.