Can a Back Pain E-mail Discussion Group improve health status and lower health care costs?: A randomized study

Archives of Internal Medicine
Kate R LorigPhilip L Ritter

Abstract

Given the high health care utilization, limited evidence for the effectiveness of back pain interventions, and the proliferation of e-mail health discussion groups, this study seeks to determine if the Internet can be used to improve health status and health care utilization for people with chronic back pain. Randomized controlled trial. Participants included 580 people from 49 states with chronic back pain having at least 1 outpatient visit in the past year, no "red-flag" symptoms, and access to e-mail. Major exclusion criteria included continuous back pain for more than 90 days causing major activity intolerance and/or receiving disability payments. Closed, moderated, e-mail discussion group. Participants also received a book and videotape about back pain. Controls received a subscription to a non-health-related magazine of their choice. Pain, disability, role function, health distress, and health care utilization. At 1-year treatment, subjects compared with controls demonstrated improvements in pain (P =.045), disability (P =.02), role function (P =.007), and health distress (P =.001). Physician visits for the past 6 months declined by 1.5 visits for the treatment group and by 0.65 visits for the control group (P =.07). Mean...Continue Reading

Associated Clinical Trials

Citations

Oct 29, 2005·Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation·Patrick LoiselBarbara Webster
Oct 16, 2012·Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA·Erin MathieuRobert Herbert
Sep 14, 2011·Current Rheumatology Reports·David A Williams
Jan 30, 2003·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Gary Schwitzer
Apr 6, 2004·Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA·Leslie LenertAditya Bansod
May 15, 2004·BMJ : British Medical Journal·David H Gustafson, Jeremy C Wyatt
Oct 9, 2004·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Philip RitterKaty Matthews
Jul 7, 2005·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Gunther Eysenbach, Per Egil Kummervold
Jul 7, 2005·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Barbara K RimerAndrea Meier
May 12, 2006·European Spine Journal : Official Publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·A H McGregorG Waddell
Jul 27, 2006·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Frances GriffithsMargaret Thorogood
Feb 5, 2008·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Annie Y S Lau, Enrico W Coiera
Jan 7, 2009·Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM·Richard A DeyoBrook I Martin
Dec 21, 2010·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Caroline R RichardsonJohn D Piette
Jul 21, 2004·The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine·Timothy J BeebeKathryn B Quinlan
Mar 17, 2010·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Katie BessièreRobert Kraut
Jun 29, 2010·Journal of Medical Internet Research·David SamoochaAllard J van der Beek
Aug 28, 2012·Translational Behavioral Medicine·Christine RiniFrancis J Keefe
Oct 18, 2008·Journal of Gerontological Social Work·Eunkyung Yoon, John B Doherty
May 27, 2010·Journal of Behavioral Medicine·Kerry A ShermanKaren L Cavanagh
Jun 28, 2007·Journal of Addictive Diseases·Gregory B CollinsDonald B Ford
Jun 9, 2012·Telemedicine Journal and E-health : the Official Journal of the American Telemedicine Association·Markus MoessnerEva Neubauer
Feb 16, 2005·Annual Review of Psychology·Francis J KeefeLisa C Campbell
Jan 12, 2007·Digestive Diseases and Sciences·Raymond BedgoodRobert R Schade
May 24, 2011·Journal of Palliative Medicine·Marian S Grant, Debra L Wiegand
Jun 16, 2010·Pain Medicine : the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine·Emil ChiauzziKevin Zacharoff
Mar 25, 2015·Pain Medicine : the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine·Su-Yin YangLance M McCracken
Mar 27, 2009·Patient Education and Counseling·Maria Caiata Zufferey, Peter J Schulz
Sep 9, 2008·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Rebecca L H BermanCarol Drengenberg
Dec 5, 2006·Annals of Epidemiology·Denise M OleskeGunnar B J Andersson
Dec 11, 2007·Rehabilitation Nursing : the Official Journal of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses·Teresa M DamushLinda S Williams
Nov 8, 2006·Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing·S Stjernswärd, M Ostman
May 31, 2013·Rehabilitation Nursing : the Official Journal of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses·Merdiye ŞendirDuygu Muşovi
May 27, 2004·The Journal of Pain : Official Journal of the American Pain Society·Francis J KeefeLisaCaitlin M Perri
Dec 17, 2014·Arthritis & Rheumatology·Hyon K ChoiYuqing Zhang
Nov 5, 2010·Behaviour Research and Therapy·Per CarlbringGerhard Andersson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.