A personalized online intervention to enhance back pain-related self-efficacy: A two-arm randomized controlled trial (IDRIS)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Objective: Low back pain (LBP) affects daily functioning and strains healthcare systems. Cognitive, behavioral, and emotional factors contribute to its persistence, yet these factors are often neglected in standard care. Personalized digital interventions containing psychoeducational information on relevant biopsychosocial aspects may thus improve outcomes when applied to patients in an early stage. This trial examined whether a brief, personalized animated psychoeducational video-tailored to individual risk profiles based on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and covering biopsychosocial contributors to LBP (depression, catastrophizing, health anxiety, fear of movement, pain endurance behavior, expectations, trauma, emotion regulation)-improves pain-related self-efficacy in adults with acute and subacute low back pain (0-12 weeks). Methods: In this two-arm randomized controlled trial, participants with back pain (duration <12 weeks) and resulting impairment were randomized to receive either a personalized animated video (intervention) or care as usual (control). Videos comprised modules (≈2-3.5 min per module) selected from eight possible topics based on baseline PROM cut-offs. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Primary analysis used mixed ANOVA to examine changes in pain-related self-efficacy (FESS) over time and between groups; secondary outcomes on biopsychosocial factors were tested with repeated measures ANOVAs and group-adjusted ANCOVAs. Results: > .05. Participants rated the intervention as credible (M = 8.36), with moderate ratings for personal fit and symptom benefit. No adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Although brief exposure may have limited the impact, the intervention was well-received. Future research should explore integrating personalized psychoeducation into multimodal treatments, emphasizing the importance of individualized approaches for this diverse patient population. Summary: A brief personalized online intervention improved back-pain self-efficacy, without being superior to an untreated control group. High acceptance seems promising for future multimodal use.
Source: Internet Interventions
Institution: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,980
OpenAlex ID: W4417458337