Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
In a controlled trial training general practitioners and occupational physicians to collaborate did not influence
E Faber1, S M A Bierma-Zeinstra, A Burdorf
1Netherlands Expert Centre for Workrelated Musculoskeletal Disorders, Erasmus MC, PO Box 2040, Rotterdam 3000 CA, The Netherlands. e.faber@erasmusmc.nl
Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a training to increase collaboration between general practitioners and occupational health physicians in the treatment of patients with low back pain (LBP) because more collaboration might improve a patient's recovery and shorten sick leave.
Methods:
In a controlled trial, the intervention in one region was compared with usual care in a control region. Participating physicians enrolled patients with LBP on sick leave for 3-12 weeks. Patients filled out three questionnaires: at inclusion, at 3 months, and at 6 months. Information on sick leave was gathered from occupational health services. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis.
Results:
Fifty-six patients with LBP were enrolled in each region. There was little collaboration between physicians during the project. Patients in the intervention region returned to work significantly later (P=.005) but were significantly more satisfied with their occupational health physician (P=.01). No differences were found between the intervention and control patients for pain, disability, quality of life, and medical consumption.
Conclusion:
Our study does not show a positive effect of the training to increase collaboration between general practitioners and occupational health physicians. The training may not have improved collaboration enough to influence the prognosis of LBP.