Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a widespread health problem associated with significant costs. The aim of this study is to assess the performance of an intervention called the PASSAGE programme, which has been developed as a series of group therapy sessions to both alleviate symptoms and help patients to self-manage their symptoms.
Who can participate?
Patients who are aged 18 or over with a medical diagnosis of non-specific CLBP and motivated to fully participate in the PASSAGE programme.
What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups: either the intervention group or the waitlist group. Participants in the intervention group attend eight group sessions (with eight people in each group). Each session covers practical and emotional techniques for coping with CLBP (psycho-education), cognitive behavioral therapy-related techniques and exercise activities. A follow-up group session then takes place six months after the completion of the programme. Participants in the waitlist group continue with their usual treatment until the first group completes the PASSAGE programme, after which they also take part. A series of questionnaires completed by both groups are used to assess how well the intervention performs.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Possible benefits include better self-management of CLBP and alleviation of symptoms. There is little risk in taking part in the study, the only inconvenience being giving up time and resources to participate in the research (e.g. traveling, completing questionnaires).
Where is the study run from?
The University of Sherbrooke (Canada).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2010 to October 2011.
Who is funding the study?
Community Alliances for Health Research and Knowledge Exchange in Pain of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in partnership with AstraZeneca Canada Inc (Grant # 86787), and by Pfizer Canada Inc.
Who is the main contact?
Dr Manon Choinière
manon.choiniere@umontreal.ca
Trial website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Manon Choinière
ORCID ID
Contact details
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de lUniversité de Montréal
Tour Saint-Antoine
850
rue Saint-Denis
Bureau S03-428
Montreal
H2X 0A9
Canada
+1 (0) 514 890 8000, ext. 14082
manon.choiniere@umontreal.ca
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Multicomponent interdisciplinary group intervention for the self-management of non-specific chronic low back pain: A multicenter randomized controlled trial
Acronym
PASSAGE
Study hypothesis
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the PASSAGE Program-a multicomponent interdisciplinary group intervention for the self-management of non-specific chronic low back pain for improving the clinical condition of patients suffering from this type of disorder.
Ethics approval
Ethics Committees of the University of Sherbrooke (Université de Sherbrooke), 15/05/2009, ref. 09-034
University of Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Université de Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue) 26/05/2009
Study design
Multicenter open-label randomized wait-list controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
N/A
Condition
Non-specific chronic low back pain
Intervention
1. Intervention group: The PASSAGE program is a structured multicomponent interdisciplinary group intervention aimed at reducing CLBP symptoms and maintaining optimal function through the use of self-management strategies and patient education. The intervention consists of 8 group sessions with 8 participants lasting 2.5h each. Each session involved 3 major components:
1.a. Psycho-educational tools
1.b. Cognitive behavioral therapy-related techniques
1.c. Patient-tailored exercise activities. A follow-up group session is schedule 6 months after the end of the intervention
2. Waitlist group: Participants randomized to the waitlist group were instructed to continue their treatment as usual until they could take part in the PASSAGE Program - i.e., 3 months after the intervention group had completed the program.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
Pain intensity, measured with a standardized numerical rating scale (NRS)
Secondary outcome measures
1. Progress during rehabilitation treatment (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale)
2. Pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory)
3. Impact of pain on sleep quality (Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory)
4. Pain coping strategies and (Coping Strategy Questionnaire)
5. Tendency to catastrophize (Pain Catastrophizing Scale)
6. Depressive symptoms (The Beck Depression Inventory)
7. Health-related quality of life (SF-12v2)
8. Patient global impression of change (PGIC)
9. Perceived pain relief (0 to 100% Pain Relief Scale)
Quantitative data were collected in both study groups at baseline (T0), after the intervention group completed the eight sessions of the PASSAGE Program (T1), and 3 months later (T2).
Overall trial start date
01/01/2010
Overall trial end date
01/10/2011
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Aged 18 years or older
2. Had a medical diagnosis of non-specific CLBP based on recognized criteria.
3. Reported pain of at least moderate intensity (at least 4/10) in the seven days prior to enrolment
4. Were motivated to attend all group sessions and to integrate the proposed self-management strategies
5. Agreed to not introduce new medications or treatments/therapies over the course of the PASSAGE program
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
64 (32 per study site)
Participant exclusion criteria
1. Subjects who reported major pain syndromes other than CLBP such as arthritis or life threatening diseases such as cancer
2. Physical/psychiatric disorders that could compromise their participation in the study
Recruitment start date
01/01/2010
Recruitment end date
01/10/2011
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Canada
Trial participating centre
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de lUniversité de Montréal
Montreal
H2X 0A9
Canada
Sponsor information
Organisation
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (Canada)
Sponsor details
c/o Dr Patricia Bourgault
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS)
3001
12e Avenue Nord
Sherbrooke
J1H 5N4
Canada
+1 (0) 819 346 1110, ext. 12885
patricia.bourgault@usherbrooke.ca
Sponsor type
Hospital/treatment centre
Website
http://cr.chus.qc.ca/en/axes/sante-population/chercheurs/patricia-bourgault-ph-d/
Funders
Funder type
Other
Funder name
Community Alliances for Health Research and Knowledge Exchange in Pain of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (Canada)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
AstraZeneca Canada Inc. (Grant # 86787) (Canada)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Pfizer Canada Inc. (Canada)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary