Communication style and exercise compliance in physiotherapy (CONNECT). A cluster randomized controlled trial to test a theory-based intervention to increase chronic low back pain patients’ adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations: study rationale, design, and methods

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Study Protocol

Geoffrey C Williams¹  Suzanne M McDonough²  Amanda M Hall³  Deirdre A Hurley³  Aileen Murray³  Chris Lonsdale⁴  Nikos Ntoumanis⁵ 

[1] Departments of Medicine, Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, Psychiatry, Center of Community Health, University of Rochester, 46 Prince St Suite 3001, 14607, Rochester, NY, USA;Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, Ulster, UK;School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Population Science, Health Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, 4, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland;School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, 2751, Penrith, NSW, Australia;School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK;

关键词: Communication;    Motivation;    Patient;    Low back pain;    Disability;    Well-being;    Adherence;    Compliance;    Physical therapy;    Physiotherapy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2474-13-104

 received in 2012-05-09, accepted in 2012-05-29,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPhysical activity and exercise therapy are among the accepted clinical rehabilitation guidelines and are recommended self-management strategies for chronic low back pain. However, many back pain sufferers do not adhere to their physiotherapist’s recommendations. Poor patient adherence may decrease the effectiveness of advice and home-based rehabilitation exercises. According to self-determination theory, support from health care practitioners can promote patients’ autonomous motivation and greater long-term behavioral persistence (e.g., adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations). The aim of this trial is to assess the effect of an intervention designed to increase physiotherapists’ autonomy-supportive communication on low back pain patients’ adherence to physical activity and exercise therapy recommendations.Methods/DesignThis study will be a single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. Outpatient physiotherapy centers (N =12) in Dublin, Ireland (population = 1.25 million) will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated algorithm to either the experimental or control arm. Physiotherapists in the experimental arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will attend eight hours of communication skills training. Training will include handouts, workbooks, video examples, role-play, and discussion designed to teach physiotherapists how to communicate in a manner that promotes autonomous patient motivation. Physiotherapists in the waitlist control arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will not receive this training. Participants (N = 292) with chronic low back pain will complete assessments at baseline, as well as 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after their first physiotherapy appointment. Primary outcomes will include adherence to physiotherapy recommendations, as well as low back pain, function, and well-being. Participants will be blinded to treatment allocation, as they will not be told if their physiotherapist has received the communication skills training. Outcome assessors will also be blinded.We will use linear mixed modeling to test between arm differences both in the mean levels and the rates of change of the outcome variables. We will employ structural equation modeling to examine the process of change, including hypothesized mediation effects.DiscussionThis trial will be the first to test the effect of a self-determination theory-based communication skills training program for physiotherapists on their low back pain patients’ adherence to rehabilitation recommendations.Trial RegistrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN63723433

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Lonsdale et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012