WorkUp

This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial in primary health care. The overall aim is to compare patients with neck and/or back pain who are allocated to either standardized, evidence-based physiotherapy treatment or a work place intervention as add-on. Main outcome is work ability. The inclusion in three different regions in southern Sweden, was carried out 2013-2014 and in all 346 patients were included. Preliminary results are in favor for the intervention group. A Swedish report has been presented (Grahn et al, 2016) and different abstracts has been presented on international and national conferences. We will continue with some final analyses of the main outcomes of the project and also on other important research questions.

A special attention in this program is on how to target interventions to patients with neck and/or back pain, based on risk screening. “The Start Back Screening Tool” is a widely-used screening instrument (Hill et al, 2011), not yet validated in Sweden. We will study different aspects of validity and classification in relation to a gold-standard instrument in Sweden; the Örebro Musculoskeletal Screening Questionnaire (Linton et al, 2011).Two PhD-students (Malin Forsbrand and Charlotte Post Sennehed) are connected to the project.