Risk Assessment for Prolonged Sickness Absence Due to Musculoskeletal Conditions

NCT04196634 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: NSD 861249
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 560
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide and for the last decade they have also been the most common cause of sickness absence and disability pension in Norway. Although most sickness absence is short-termed, a small proportion of people with MSK conditions are on long-term sick leave, contributing to large cost due to disbursement of benefits, productivity loss and extensive use of health care. There is growing evidence that long-term sickness absence is harmful to mental and physical health, with a reduced probability of return to work (RtW) with prolonged sickness absence. Thus, focusing on early RtW in people on sick leave due to MSK conditions is important to reduce the burden on both the individual and the society. However, to provide interventions to reduce the duration of sickness absence to all people on sick leave would require enormous resources. By targeting those at risk of long-term sickness absence, resources may be used differently, e.g. more resource-saving. By using information on modifiable risk factors from simple risk assessment tools, health care providers and other stakeholders may facilitate RtW in a better way. The overall purposes of this project are 1) to identify the most accurate screening tool to identify people at a high risk of prolonged sickness absence due to a MSK condition, and 2) to investigate severity of MSK health, health-related quality-of-life, health care consumption, and costs across different risk profiles in people on sick leave due to MSK conditions. We will use registered data on sickness absence from 1 year before to 1 year after inclusion in the study.

Conditions

Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder

Keywords

Risk Assessment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Sickness absence days

  Total number of absence days during 12 months of follow-up adjusted for percentage of work and percentage of sickness absence. Register data from the national health and welfare services

  12 months

• Time to sustainable return to work

  The time until full sustainable return to work, i.e. at least 4 weeks without relapse during 12 months of follow-up. Register data from the national health and welfare services

  12 months

• Probability of return to work

  Probability of working (i.e. not receiving medical benefits) each month during 12 months of follow-up, measured as repeated events. Register data from the national health and welfare services

  12 months

• Proportion who have returned to work

  Proportion of people with sustainable return to work (at least 4 weeks) at 12 months. Register data from the national health and welfare services

  12 months

• Health care costs

  Use of health care will be collected from public registries including Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR), Municipal Patient and User Registry (KPR) and Control and Payment of Health Refunds (KUHR).

  12 months

• Sickness absence costs

  Sickness absence costs will be calculated based on data from the NAV registry

  12 months

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ)

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• EuroQol 5 Dimensions (EQ5D-5L)

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• Institute of Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA) Productivity Cost Questionnaire (iPCQ)

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• Sickness absence days

  6 months

• Time to sustainable return to work

  6 months

Other Outcomes (8)

• Keele STarT MSK Screening tool

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire short form (ÖMPSQ -sf)

  Baseline and 4 weeks

• Work conflict

  Baseline and 4 weeks

Study Arms (1)

People on sick leave

People on sick leave due to musculoskeletal conditions for at least 4 weeks.

Other: Risk assessment

Interventions

Risk assessment OTHER

People on sick leave due to musculoskeletal conditions will be screened for potential risk factors for prolonged sickness absence. No intervention will be given.

People on sick leave

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: Female gender is a risk factor for developing musculoskeletal conditions, so we expect more women to be included in the study.
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

People on sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain conditions in Norway were invited to participate. Eligible participants had to log on to their personal sickness absence website at the Norwegian Welfare and Labor Administration to be able to see a link to the project.

You may qualify if:

• People older than 18 years on sick leave due to musculoskeletal pain for at least 4 weeks

You may not qualify if:

• People on sick leave for other pain conditions or diseases
• People not able to read or write Norwegian or English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Oslo Metropolitan University: lead
• Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Oslo Metropolitan University

Oslo, 0130, Norway

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Killingmo RM, Tveter AT, Pripp AH, Tingulstad A, Maas E, Rysstad T, Grotle M. Modifiable prognostic factors of high societal costs among people on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders: findings from an occupational cohort study. BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 1;14(3):e080567. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080567.

  PMID: 38431296 DERIVED

• Munk Killingmo R, Tveter AT, Smastuen MC, Storheim K, Grotle M. Comparison of self-reported and public registered absenteeism among people on long-term sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders: criterion validity of the iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire. Eur J Health Econ. 2021 Aug;22(6):865-872. doi: 10.1007/s10198-021-01294-0. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

  PMID: 34061299 DERIVED

• Tveter AT, Oiestad BE, Rysstad TL, Aanesen F, Tingulstad A, Smastuen MC, Grotle M. Risk assessment for prolonged sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders: protocol for a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020 May 25;21(1):326. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03354-7.

  PMID: 32450820 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Collagen Diseases

Interventions

Risk Assessment

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Connective Tissue Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Risk; Probability; Statistics as Topic; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Risk Management; Organization and Administration; Health Services Administration; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Epidemiologic Measurements; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Margreth Grotle, Prof

  Oslo Metropolitan University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 27, 2019
• First Posted: December 12, 2019
• Study Start: November 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2020
• Study Completion: September 1, 2023
• Last Updated: February 17, 2023

Record last verified: 2022-08

Locations

NO (1)