Phone call follow-up after RheumAtologIcal rehabilitation Stays: Evaluation of effects

ISRCTN ISRCTN91433175
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN91433175
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
31/05/2011
Registration date
21/06/2011
Last edited
15/07/2019
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Inflammatory rheumatic diseases represent a major burden to the individual patient and to the society. Rheumatic diseases are characterized by inflammatory processes that may lead to joint damage and various degrees of disability. Current treatment focuses on early diagnosis and early use of medication that improves the disease. However, a major proportion of patients has remaining disability and does still need rehabilitation. Several studies have shown that patients with rheumatic diseases benefit from rehabilitation, but the effect seems to fade over time, and most patients are back to their initial health status six to twelve months after discharge from rehabilitation. A major challenge is therefore to help patients maintain self-management strategies introduced in the rehabilitation period, and thereby enhance a longer lasting effect of rehabilitation.

Goal planning or goal setting is considered an important part of rehabilitation practice. Several studies show that goal planning can influence patients' adherence to treatment regimes and improve immediate patient performance, but evidence regarding how it may improve results after rehabilitation programmes is inconsistent. Rehabilitation goals often address life style changes which involve a process over some time before settled as a new habit. This process involves both mental and behavioural elements, and may by the end of a rehabilitation stay still be unclear and fragile.

Telephone follow-up to support individualized goals and action plans has been reported to increase the effect of a rehabilitation program compared to control groups receiving more general health screening topics or no telephone calls at all. A tailored patient follow-up program as an extension to the rehabilitation stay may therefore prevent fading of the achieved results.

The objective of goal setting involves a change in patient behaviour. Theories of behaviour and behaviour change may therefore guide goal setting interventions. Motivational interviewing is a strategy based on cognitive behavioural theory, and is designed to motivate and prepare people for behaviour change. Several studies conclude that the use of cognitive behavioural approaches in exercise programs and other self-management interventions increase their effectiveness in patients with rheumatic diseases, and a recent review concluded that common features of effective self-management programs where that they included explicit use of cognitive behavioural therapy, individualized weekly action plans with progress review, that they had written records of agreements made between patients and health worker (protocols) with participant hand-books, and that they were lead by the same trained leaders.

Based on previous described research and professional agreement between health workers at different rheumatology departments in the South-East of Norway, a new and potentially more effective rehabilitation program has been developed.

The main aim of this study is to measure and decide the usefulness of this new rehabilitation program (the PRAISE-program) compared to the current traditional rehabilitation programmes. The expected usefulness of the new program will be expressed in terms of goal attainment and health benefits for participating patients, and with regard to if it saves money compared to the costs involved.

Who can participate?
Patients who are admitted to the participating rehabilitation units with one of the following inflammatory rheumatic diagnoses: Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In addition patients with generalized arthritis with affection of either hip or knee can take part in the study.

To take part you need to be:
1. Aged 18 years or older
2. Have a good understanding of Norwegian language

Patients with mental dysfunction or severe psychiatric disorder, and patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery can not participate in the study.

Patients will be recruited through information from health professionals at the participating centers at admission to the rehabilitation stay and those who are interested will receive written information about the study. To enrol, participants will have to give their informed consent.

What does the study involve?
The new program (PRAISE-program) is based on existing rehabilitation programs delivered at different rheumatology departments and rehabilitation centres in the South-East of Norway, but the following four elements have been added:
1. A structured goal-setting and evaluation process during the rehabilitation stay, including deciding of goals to proceed with in the patient's home-setting after discharge
2. A self-help booklet for use under and after the rehabilitation stay
3. A follow-up program consisting of four phone-calls from a health care provider at the hospital, directed at goal attainment and motivation for continued effort
4. Organized and thorough use of motivational interviewing in the goal setting and evaluation process, as well as in the follow-up phone calls. Motivational interviewing is a form of conversation aimed at preparing people for change

While one group will receive the PRAISE program, the other group will receive traditional rehabilitation with no other support after discharge than what is usually provided (treatment as usual). Both groups will receive medical treatment as usual.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no known risks to participants.

All participants, including controls, will receive rehabilitation which may improve their health and physical function.

Participants randomized to the intervention group will additionally receive a structured, individualized goal setting program, a self.help-booklet and a follow-up program consisting of four phone calls from health care providers located at the different hospitals and rehabilitation centres. The phone call follow-up will be directed at pursuing individual goal attainment and enhance motivation for continued effort. All these elements are expected to increase the health benefits of their rehabilitation stay.

Where is the study run from?
The study takes place at various rheumatological rehabilitation departments at hospitals and a rehabilitation center in the South-East of Norway, with a total of six departments/centres participating in the enrolment.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
Patients will be enrolled in the study between August 2011 and June 2012. Follow-up examinations will continue towards July 2013.

Who is funding the study?
Health Region South-East of Norway

Who is the main contact?
Dr Ingvild Kjeken (Senior researcher)
National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology
Diakonhjemmet Hospital, P.O. Box 23 Vinderen
N-0319 Norway
Tel: +47 45 48 45 / +47 98 80 26 14
Email: ingvild.kjeken@diakonsyk.no

Contact information

Mrs Ingvild Kjeken
Scientific

The National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology (NRRK)
Diakonhjemmet Hospital
Pb 23 Vinderen
Oslo
0319
Norway

Phone +47 (0)22 45 48 45
Email ingvild.kjeken@diakonsyk.no

Study information

Study designInterventional multicentre stepped wedge cluster randomised trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designCluster randomised trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeQuality of life
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleEffects of structured goal planning and tailored follow-up in rehabilitation for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial
Study acronymPRAISE
Study objectivesThe main objective of this trial is to evaluate goal attainment, health effects and cost effectiveness of the new rehabilitation program (PRAISE) compared to the current traditional rehabilitation programs.
Ethics approval(s)1. Norwegian Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics Health Region South-East approved on 19/05/2011, ref: 2011/909
2. The Privacy Protection representative at Oslo University Hospital approved on 31/03/2011, ref: 2011/6602
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedInflammatory rheumatic diseases / rehabilitation
InterventionThe new program (PRAISE) is based on existing rehabilitation programs delivered at rheumatology departments and rehabilitation centres in Health Region Sout-East Norway, but the following four elements have been added:
1. A structured goal-setting and evaluation process during the rehabilitation stay, including deciding of goals to proceed with in their home-setting after discharge
2. A self-help booklet for use under and after the rehabilitation stay
3. A follow-up program consisting of four phone-calls from health care provider at the hospital directed at goal attainment and motivation for continued effort
4. Systematic use of motivational interviewing in the goal setting and evaluation process, as well as in the follow-up phone calls

The control group will receive traditional rehabilitation with no other support after discharge than what is usually provided (treatment as usual).

Both groups will receive medical treatment as usual.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure1. Goal attainment and health related quality of life measured by the Patient Generated Index (PGI).

PGI is an individualised instrument which is completed in three stages:
1.1. In stage one the respondent is asked to identify up to five important areas of their life that are affected by their rheumatic disease.
1.2. In stage two the respondents is asked to rate these areas on a numeric rating scale from 0 - 6 where 0 = as bad as could possibly be, and 6 = as good as could possibly be.
1.3. In stage three, respondents are asked to distribute ten points to indicate the relative importance of each of the areas described in stage one, with most points allocated to the most important areas.

The PGI may thereafter serve as a basis for developing individual rahabilitation goals, and the scores and re-scorings to evaluate attainment of these goals.
Secondary outcome measures1. The Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scales (ASES) for pain and symptoms
2. Pain and fatigue measured on Numeric Rating Scales (NRS)
3. Other aspects of health related quality of life measured by the SF-36 domains Bodily Pain (BP), Role Physical (RP), Mental Health (MH), Vitality (VT), General Health (GH), Role Emotional (RE) and Social Functioning (SF).
4. In addition data on health care resource allocation and costs will be collected
The data will be collected at baseline, discharge and follow-up at 26 weeks and 52 weeks after discharge.
Overall study start date23/08/2011
Completion date30/06/2013

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsA total of 312 patients will be recruited into the study
Total final enrolment389
Key inclusion criteria1. Patients admitted to the participating rehabilitation centres with one of the following inflammatory rheumatic diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatric arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis or generalised osteoarthritis effecting either the hip or knee
2. Aged 18 years or older
3. A good understanding of Norwegian language
4. Able and willing to sign the informed consent form
Key exclusion criteria1. Cognitive impairment
2. Severe psychiatric disorder
3. Patients with rheumatic disease undergoing rehabilitation after elective orthopaedic surgery
Date of first enrolment23/08/2011
Date of final enrolment30/06/2013

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Norway

Study participating centre

The National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology (NRRK)
Oslo
0319
Norway

Sponsor information

Diakonhjemmet Hospital (Norway)
Hospital/treatment centre

Pb 23 Vinderen
Oslo
0319
Norway

Email k.b.hagen@medisin.uio.no
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/02jvh3a15

Funders

Funder type

Government

Health Region South/East (Norway)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryOther
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol article protocol 14/05/2014 Yes No
Results article results 01/11/2018 06/02/2019 Yes No
Results article results 10/11/2017 06/02/2019 Yes No
Results article results 01/04/2018 06/02/2019 Yes No
Results article results 01/11/2018 15/07/2019 Yes No

Editorial Notes

15/07/2019: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.
07/02/2019: IPD sharing statement added.
06/02/2019: Publication references added.
24/02/2014: The overall trial end date was changed from 15/06/2012 to 30/06/2013.