[Efficacy of an internet-delivered aftercare program for patients with chronic back pain]

Chronic back pain leads to high societal costs and severely decreased quality of life for the sufferers. Pain treatment aims at sustainable behaviour changes in order to positively affect pain development in the medium term. A multicenter, randomised control trial was conducted. Participants (N=334) were recruited at 6 German hospitals and randomly assigned to an Internet-based aftercare intervention or treatment-as-usual. Primary endpoint was 12 months after treatment termination, primary outcome was pain intensity, and secondary outcomes were physical functioning, quality of life, and ability to work.The intervention was well accepted by the participants. Its efficacy could not be demonstrated. Neither pain intensity nor the secondary outcomes differed between the 2 study groups.Possible reasons for disappointing efficacy and preconditions for Internet-based programs will be discussed.