The Pilot of the Turku Outpatient Clinic for Functional and Fatigue Disorders

NCT07272148 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: T1398-2023-2
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 125
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examined 125 working-age patients from the Turku Outpatient Clinic for Functional and Fatigue Disorders. "Patients participate in the clinic's biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation. The aim of the rehabilitation is to improve patients' functional capacity and provide them with tools to manage and cope with their symptoms. In addition, the goal is to break the cycle of unnecessary examinations that cause harm to the patient. Socioeconomic data, as well as information related to functional capacity, symptoms, and quality of life, are collected from patients at the start of rehabilitation and again at six and twelve months after the beginning of rehabilitation. In addition, data on patients' use of social and health care services are requested from registers for the year preceding the start of rehabilitation and for the year following rehabilitation.

Conditions

Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS); Functional Disorder; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Quality of life of the patients

  WHOQOL-BREF

  At baseline and at 6 and 12 months follow-ups

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Functional limitations of the patients

  At baseline and at 6 and 12 months follow-up

Other Outcomes (1)

• Use of social and health services

  At baseline and at 6 and 12 month follow-ups

Study Arms (1)

Patients suffering persistent symptoms

The clinic's staff included a pilot project coordinator, a physician, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation counselor, and a ward secretary. At the physician's initial visit, stress system sensitization, burden factors, and need for symptomatic medication were assessed. In a joint rehabilitation team meeting, the patient met a psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and rehabilitation counselor, who conducted a multidisciplinary evaluation and created an individualized rehabilitation plan. Patients then attended a course for persistent bodily symptoms, with some joining a psychophysical breathing group. Individual rehabilitation or counseling was provided according to each patient's needs.

Behavioral: Biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation for patients with persisten symptoms

Interventions

Biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation for patients with persisten symptoms BEHAVIORAL

The clinic's staff included a pilot project coordinator, a physician, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation counselor, and a ward secretary. At the physician's initial visit, stress system sensitization, burden factors, and need for symptomatic medication were assessed. In a joint rehabilitation team meeting, the patient met a psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and rehabilitation counselor, who conducted a multidisciplinary evaluation and created an individualized rehabilitation plan. Patients then attended a course for persistent bodily symptoms, with some joining a psychophysical breathing group. Individual rehabilitation or counseling was provided according to each patient's needs.

Patients suffering persistent symptoms

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 66 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of working-age patients with persistent symptoms in the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland. Referrals to the clinic were made from primary health care, occupational health care, private health services, and specialized health care.

You may qualify if:

• patients suffering persistent symptoms
• referred to the clinic between August 1, 2023 to April 30, 2025

You may not qualify if:

• ineligible for the study because of the need for extensive additional examinations in a specialized field, acute substance abuse problems, and/or lack of motivation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Turku University Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Academic Health and Social Services Centre

Turku, Southwest Finland, 20520, Finland

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Encephalomyelitis; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 17, 2025
• First Posted: December 9, 2025
• Study Start: August 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Last Updated: December 9, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

FI (1)