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- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-, et al.
(author)
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Does teaching physical therapists to deliver a biopsychosocial treatment program result in better patient outcomes? : A randomized controlled trial
- 2011
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In: Physical Therapy. - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 91:5, s. 804-819
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background. Psychosocial prognostic factors are important in the development of chronic pain, but treatment providers often lack knowledge and skills to assess and address these risk factors. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine the effects on outcomes (pain and disability) in patients of a course about psychosocial prognostic factors for physical therapists. Design. This study was a randomized, controlled trial. Setting. The setting was primary care practice. Participants. Forty-two primary care physical therapists attended an 8-day university course (over 8 weeks) aimed at identifying and addressing psychosocial risk factors. Intervention. The physical therapists were randomly assigned to either the course or a waiting list. They treated consecutive patients with acute and subacute musculoskeletal pain both before and after the course. Measurements. We measured physical therapists' attitudes and beliefs about psychosocial factors, knowledge, and skills before and after the course. We measured patients' pain, disability, catastrophizing, and mood at the start of treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Methods. The physical therapists were randomly assigned to either the course or a waiting list. They treated consecutive patients with acute and subacute musculoskeletal pain both before and after the course. Results. Pain and disability outcomes in all patients of physical therapists who had participated in the course or in patients at risk of developing long-term disability who had higher levels of catastrophizing or depression were not significantly different from those outcomes in patients of physical therapists who had not participated in the course. Pain and disability outcomes in patients with a low risk of developing long-term disability-and pain outcomes in patients with a high risk of developing long-term disability-were not dependent upon whether the attitudes and beliefs of their physical therapists changed during the course. However, disability outcomes in patients with a high risk of developing long-term disability may have been influenced by whether the attitudes and beliefs of their physical therapists changed. Limitations. A limitation of this study was that actual practice behavior was not measured. Conclusions. An 8-day university course for physical therapists did not improve outcomes in a group of patients as a whole or in patients with a risk of developing long-term disability. However, patients who had a risk of developing long-term disability and had higher levels of catastrophizing or depression may have shown greater reductions in disability if the attitudes and beliefs of their physical therapists changed during the course.
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2. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-, et al.
(author)
-
Does teaching physical therapists to deliver a biopsychosocial treatment program result in better patient outcomes? : A randomized controlled trial
- 2011
-
In: Physical Therapy. - : Oxford University Press. - 0031-9023 .- 1538-6724. ; 91:5, s. 804-819
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Psychosocial risk factors are important in the development of chronic pain but treatment providers often lack knowledge and skills to assess and address these risk factors.Objectives: We examined the effects of a course on psychosocial factors for physical therapists on patient outcome in terms of pain and disability. Design: A randomised controlled trail.Participants: Forty-two primary care physical therapists attended an eight-day university course over eight weeks aimed at identifying and addressing psychosocial risk factors.Methods: They were randomised to either the course or a waiting list. The physical therapists collected consecutive acute and sub-acute patients with musculoskeletal pain both before and after the course.Results: There were no significant differences in outcome for pain or disability for allpatients of physical therapists who had participated in the course or for risk patients with higher levels of catastrophizing or depression compared to patients of physical therapists who had not participated in the course. Outcome for low risk patients on pain and disability and for high risk patients on pain was not dependent on if their physical therapists changed their attitudes and beliefs during the course. Yet, outcome on disability for high risk patients may have been influenced if their physical therapists change their attitudes and beliefs.Limitations: no measure of actual practice behaviour.Conclusions: An eight-day university course for physiotherapists did not improve outcome for the group of patients as a whole or patients at risk of developing long term disability. Yet, risk patients with higher levels of catastrophizing or depression may have had a greater improvement in disability if their physical therapist changed attitudes and beliefs during the course.
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3. |
- Overmeer, Thomas, 1960-
(author)
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Implementing psychosocial factors in physical therapy treatment for patients with musculoskeletal pain in primary care
- 2010
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This dissertation focuses on 2 parts: 1) Whether evidence-based guidelines are recognized and integrated into clinical practice in primary care and 2) Whether a university course aimed at teaching physical therapists to identify and address evidence-based psychosocial factors in primary care might change practice behaviour and patient outcome. To this end practising clinicians were surveyed and a course for physical therapists was developed.Concerning the first part, we showed that a relatively large proportion of clinicians in primary care were unfamiliar with the content of evidence-based guidelines and/or with the concept of “Red flags”. Yet, concerning the self-reported practice behaviour, the majority indicated they followed the key points in the guidelines. To enhance the impact of guidelines, interventions or tactics for teaching and implementing guidelines should include interactive education,discussion, feedback, and reminders which in research have shown to enhance knowledge,skills and change behaviour. Furthermore, the clinical applicability of the guidelines needs to be further developed. We could also show that psychosocial factors were integrated up to a certain point and that physical therapists in primary care were well aware of the importance of psychosocial risk factors, but it seemed physical therapists lack specificity about which factors are important. Physical therapists may have heard about risk factors but probably did not have a clear model or structure about how these factors work.Concerning the second part, the results showed that we, by means of a university course, managed to change attitudes and beliefs, increase knowledge, skills and competencies towards a more biopsychosocial standpoint. But despite these changes, the results did not show a behavioural change on behalf of the physical therapists or a better outcome for patients at risk of longterm pain and disability. Several possible explanations for this are discussed. First, the content of the course should be changed so it focuses more on behavioural change on behalf of the physical therapists. This would facilitate implementation of new behaviour in clinical practice and increase the likelihood that the new behaviour is maintained and thereby the possibility of improved patient outcome. Second, treating patients at risk for long-term pain and disability may also be too difficult for a single physical therapist in a clinical setting. This would imply large changes in the way patients are directed through the health care system compared to now. The main tasks of the physical therapists in primary care would then be to select patients at risk for long-term pain and disability. They would then treat the patients not at risk and refer the patients at risk for long-term pain and disability to more suitable treatment, for example CBT treatment delivered by a psychologist or multimodal treatment delivered by a team of experts.Since risk patients experience most suffering and are the most costly for the health care system, it is important they get the appropriate treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.In summary, this dissertation shows that integrating psychosocial factors in physical therapy is not an easy task.
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4. |
- Peolsson, Anneli, et al.
(author)
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Effects of neck-specific exercise with or without a behavioural approach in addition to prescribed physical activity for individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorders: a prospective randomised study
- 2013
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In: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2474. ; 14:311
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Up to 50% of chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD) patients experience considerable pain and disability and remain on sick-leave. No evidence supports the use of physiotherapy treatment of chronic WAD, although exercise is recommended. Previous randomised controlled studies did not evaluate the value of adding a behavioural therapy intervention to neck-specific exercises, nor did they compare these treatments to prescription of general physical activity. Few exercise studies focus on patients with chronic WAD, and few have looked at patients ability to return to work and the cost-effectiveness of treatments. Thus, there is a great need to develop successful evidence-based rehabilitation models. The study aim is to investigate whether neck-specific exercise with or without a behavioural approach (facilitated by a single caregiver per patient) improves functioning compared to prescription of general physical activity for individuals with chronic WAD. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanMethods/Design: The study is a prospective, randomised, controlled, multi-centre study with a 2-year follow-up that includes 216 patients with chronic WAD (andgt;6 months and andlt;3 years). The patients (aged 18 to 63) must be classified as WAD grade 2 or 3. Eligibility will be determined with a questionnaire, telephone interview and clinical examination. The participants will be randomised into one of three treatments: (A) neck-specific exercise followed by prescription of physical activity; (B) neck-specific exercise with a behavioural approach followed by prescription of physical activity; or (C) prescription of physical activity alone without neck-specific exercises. Treatments will be performed for 3 months. We will examine physical and psychological function, pain intensity, health care consumption, the ability to resume work and economic health benefits. An independent, blinded investigator will perform the measurements at baseline and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after inclusion. The main study outcome will be improvement in neck-specific disability as measured with the Neck Disability Index. All treatments will be recorded in treatment diaries and medical records. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanDiscussion: The study findings will help improve the treatment of patients with chronic WAD.
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