Leitlinie „Kreuzschmerzen”

Evaluation of guideline-endorsed red flags to screen for fracture in patients presenting with low back pain

OBJECTIVES

(1) Describe the evolution of guideline-endorsed red flags for fracture in patients presenting with low back pain; (2) evaluate agreement between guidelines; and (3) evaluate the extent to which recommendations are accompanied by information on diagnostic accuracy of endorsed red flags.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE and PubMed, PEDro, CINAHL and EMBASE electronic databases. We also searched in guideline databases, including the National Guideline Clearinghouse and Canadian Medical Association Infobase.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two review authors independently extracted the following data: health professional association or society producing guideline, year of publication, the precise wording of endorsed red flag for vertebral fracture, recommendations for diagnostic workup if fracture is suspected, if the guidelines substantiate the recommendation with citation to a primary diagnostic study or diagnostic review, if the guideline provides any diagnostic accuracy data.

RESULTS

78 guidelines from 28 countries were included. A total of 12 discrete red flags were reported. The most commonly recommended red flags were older age, use of steroids, trauma and osteoporosis. Regarding the evolution of red flags, older age, trauma and osteoporosis were the first red flags endorsed (in 1994); and previous fracture was the last red flag endorsed (in 2003). Agreement between guidelines in endorsing red flags was only fair; kappa=0.32. Only 9 of the 78 guidelines substantiated their red flag recommendations by research and only nine provided information on diagnostic accuracy.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSION

The number of red flags endorsed in guidelines to screen for fracture has risen over time; most guidelines do not endorse the same set of red flags and most recommendations are not supported by research or accompanied by diagnostic accuracy data.

Effectiveness of a Web-based tailored interactive health communication application for patients with type 2 diabetes or chronic low back pain: randomized controlled trial

Background

The prevalence of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and chronic low back pain is rising. Patient empowerment is a key strategy in the management of chronic diseases. Patient empowerment can be fostered by Web-based interactive health communication applications (IHCAs) that combine health information with decision support, social support, and/or behavioral change support. Tailoring the content and tone of IHCAs to the needs of individual patients might improve their effectiveness.

Objective

The main objective was to test the effectiveness of a Web-based, tailored, fully automated IHCA for patients with type 2 diabetes or chronic low back pain against a standard website with identical content without tailoring (control condition) on patients’ knowledge and empowerment.

Methods

We performed a blinded randomized trial with a parallel design. In the intervention group, the content was delivered in dialogue form, tailored to relevant patient characteristics. In the control group, the sections of the text were presented in a content tree without any tailoring. Participants were recruited online and offline and were blinded to their group assignments. Measurements were taken at baseline (t₀), directly after the first visit (t₁), and at 3-month follow-up (t₂). The primary hypothesis was that the tailored IHCA would have larger effects on knowledge and patient empowerment (primary outcomes) than the control website. The secondary outcomes were decisional conflict and preparation for decision making. All measurements were conducted by online self-report questionnaires. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and available cases (AC) analyses were performed for all outcomes.

Results

A total of 561 users agreed to participate in the study. Of these, 179 (31.9%) had type 2 diabetes and 382 (68.1%) had chronic low back pain. Usage was significantly higher in the tailored system (mean 51.2 minutes) than in the control system (mean 37.6 minutes; P<.001). Three months after system use, 52.4% of the sample was retained. There was no significant intervention effect in the ITT analysis. In the AC analysis, participants using the tailored system displayed significantly more knowledge at t₁ (P=.02) and more emotional well-being (subscale of empowerment) at t₂ (P=.009). The estimated mean difference between the groups was 3.9 (95% CI 0.5-7.3) points for knowledge and 25.4 (95% CI 6.3-44.5) points for emotional well-being on a 0-100 points scale.

Conclusions

The primary analysis did not support the study hypothesis. However, content tailoring and interactivity may increase knowledge and reduce health-related negative effects in persons who use IHCAs. There were no main effects of the intervention on other dimensions of patient empowerment or decision-related outcomes. This might be due to our tailored IHCA being, at its core, an educational intervention offering health information in a personalized, empathic fashion that merely additionally provides decision support. Tailoring and interactivity may not make a difference with regard to these outcomes.

Trial Registration

International Clinical Trials Registry: DRKS00003322; http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=DRKS00003322 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6WPO0lJwE).

A tailored, dialogue-based health communication application for patients with chronic low back pain: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic low back pain is a common chronic condition whose treatment success can be improved by active involvement of patients. Patient involvement can be fostered by web-based applications combining health information with decision support or behaviour change support. These so-called Interactive Health Communication Applications (IHCAs) can reach great numbers of patients at low financial cost and provide information and support at the time, place and learning speed patients prefer. However, high attrition often seems to decrease the effects of web-based interventions. Tailoring content and tone of IHCAs to the individual patient ́s needs might improve usage and therefore effectiveness. This study aims to evaluate a tailored IHCA for people with chronic low back pain combining health information with decision support and behaviour change support.

METHODS/DESIGN

The tailored IHCA will be tested regarding effectiveness and usage against a standard website with identical content in a single-blinded randomized trial with a parallel design. The IHCA contains information on chronic low back pain and its treatment options including health behaviour change recommendations. In the intervention group the content is delivered in dialogue form, tailored to relevant patient characteristics (health literacy, coping style). In the control group there is no tailoring, a standard web-page is used for presenting the content. Participants are unaware of group assignment. Eligibility criteria are age ≥ 18 years , self- reported chronic low back pain, and Internet access. To detect the expected small effect (Cohen's d = 0.2), the sample aims to include 414 patients, with assessments at baseline, directly after the first on-page visit, and at 3-month follow-up using online self-report questionnaires. It is expected that the tailored IHCA has larger effects on knowledge and patient empowerment (primary outcomes) compared to a standard website. Secondary outcomes are website usage, preparation for decision making, and decisional conflict.

DISCUSSION

IHCAs can be a suitable way to promote knowledge about chronic low back pain and self-management competencies. Results of the study can increase the knowledge on how to develop IHCAs which are more useful and effective for people suffering from chronic low back pain.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

International Clinical Trials Registry DRKS00003322.

Costs associated with treatment of chronic low back pain: an analysis of the UK General Practice Research Database

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of health care costs associated with the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE

To assess 12-month health care costs associated with the treatment of CLBP, using the UK General Practice Research Database.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

CLBP is a common health problem.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the General Practice Research Database, a computerized database of UK primary care patient data. Patients with CLBP were identified for the study period (January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2009) using diagnostic records and pain relief prescriptions (n = 64,167), and 1:1 matched to patients without CLBP (n = 52,986) on the basis of age, sex, and general practitioner's practice. Index date was defined as the first date of CLBP record; the same index date was assigned to matched controls. Multivariate analyses were performed to compare resource use costs (2009 values) in the 12 months after the index date between patients with and without CLBP. A sensitivity analysis was carried out with a more stringent definition for the control group by excluding a broad range of pain conditions.

RESULTS

Total health care costs for patients with CLBP were double those of the matched controls (£1074 vs. £516; P < 0.05). Of the cost difference, 58.8% was accounted for by general practitioner's consultations, 22.3% by referrals to secondary care, and the rest by pain relief medications. The sensitivity analysis revealed an even greater cost difference between the 2 groups (£1052 vs. £304; P < 0.05). Because of the use of a retrospective administrative claims database, this study is subject to selection bias between study cohorts, misidentification of comorbidities, and an inability to confirm adherence to therapy or assess indirect costs and costs of over-the-counter medications.

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirm the substantial economic burden of CLBP, even with direct costs only.

[Quality indicators for managing patients with low back pain]

INTRODUCTION

Low back pain (LBP) is an epidemiologically and economically relevant health care problem appropriate for quality assurance approaches. Therefore an expert panel (AQUIK) of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians has proposed three quality indicators (QI) for monitoring the quality of ambulatory care for LBP. The aim of this article is to present and evaluate the proposed QIs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The three proposed QIs relating to red flags, imaging and sick leave certificates were evaluated with regard to the underpinning evidence, epidemiology and feasibility. Guidelines and original research as well results from surveys and observational studies evaluating adherence to LBP guidelines were used for assessment.

RESULTS

The expert panel concluded that only the recording of red flags is a relevant and feasible QI. Despite a two-stage expert method the epidemiology of LBP, feasibility and existing routine health care data were not sufficiently taken into account. The author's conclusion differs in two instances. The red flag concept is not sufficiently clinically validated and recordable to be used as a QI. Otherwise imaging is considered a suitable QI given the observed overuse and the availability of billing data.

CONCLUSION

Deriving valid and pragmatic QI from LBP guidelines for evaluating care for LBP is difficult. The core messages of guidelines are only recommendations with limited precision and transferability to individual patients. For pragmatic reasons definition of an upper or lower proportion of patients receiving a given health care service is recommended instead of tedious individual evaluation. Reasonable estimates can be based on data from research on health care services. Because of this uncertainty QIs should be evaluated before they are used as a steering instrument.

Schmerzchronifizierung bei ambulanten Rückenschmerzpatienten

BACKGROUND

Among the possible reasons for low back pain, psychological factors are getting more attention. Early assessment of the stage of chronicity is important for successful therapy. The aim of the present study was to analyse the applicability of the Mainz Pain Staging System (MPSS) for chronic back pain outpatients.

METHODS

Each of 679 back pain outpatients were assigned to one of the three MPSS stages of chronic back pain severity. Pain intensity and duration, anxiety and depression, pain sensation, impression of control and muscular capacity (isometric power of lumbal extensor), number of clinical consultations, hospitalisation, and days of work inability were also recorded.

RESULTS

Males and females showed levels of chronic pain increasing with age. Patients with high MPSS levels showed significantly higher mean scores for anxiety, depression, number of consultations, hospitalisation, and days of inability to work. Furthermore, the same patients showed lower impressions of control and muscular capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirms the significance and usefulness of the MPSS applied to outpatients with back pain. To assess completely the stage of chronicity, psychological and physical/functional parameters should also be obtained.

Use of a patient information leaflet to influence patient decisions regarding mode of administration of NSAID medications in case of acute low back pain

Despite dissuasive recommendations, intramuscular (i.m.) injections of NSAIDS are still a widespread treatment of acute pain in General Practice as well as among orthopaedic physicians. Most physicians argue that patients who are used to receive NSAIDS i.m. would insist on this application mode while being convinced of its therapeutic superiority for pain relief. Therefore, the aim of the study was to find out if patients' decision can be influenced towards an oral application by receiving a simple information leaflet. An information leaflet, providing information about the risks of NSAIDS particularly in case of i.m. application was provided to 161 patients with acute low back pain. Decision in favour or against i.m. application of NSAIDS was documented. Severity of disease was assessed by the Roland Morrison pain questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS) at the first visit and again 3-5 days later. From May to December 2004, 161 patients, visiting their GP (13 practices) with acute pain and demanding an injection were included in the study. After reading the information leaflet, 139 of the 161 (86.3%) patients decided for an oral application instead of receiving an injection of NSAIDS as in the past. This effect was statistically significant (P</=0.01). Of the initial 161 patients, 156 could be re-evaluated and no significant differences in the VAS and the Roland Morris Score between the patients with oral and i.m. application mode could be found. Only 2 patients of the 139 who decided for oral application indicated that they would opt for an i.m. injection next time. Our study demonstrates that patients' decision can be influenced even in case of severe pain by providing adequate information on a short information leaflet. The results should help to reduce physicians' fear of losing patients when not following their demand for i.m. injections and therefore enable a safer pain treatment.

Chronischer Schmerz im ärztlichen Alltag

Acute or chronic pain are the most frequent reasons to seek medical help. Primarily acute pain is a symptom and warning sign. However, insufficient treatment of acute pain may induce a change to a chronic long lasting pain illness. Therefore a consequent immediate treatment is essential. Chronic pain is a bio-psycho-social illness. In this situation pharmacotherapy or any other monotherapy alone is no longer effective. Interdisciplinary treatment is needed. Effective treatment of acute pain to prevent from long lasting pain episodes is an essential and the only way to prevent from enormous financial consequences of chronic pain.