Self-management support program delivered in the sub-acute phase after traumatic injury-study protocol for a...

Area of Science:

• Trauma care and rehabilitation
• Health psychology
• Clinical trial methodology

Background:

• Traumatic injuries cause significant distress and disability, with many survivors experiencing persistent symptoms and unmet healthcare needs.
• Self-management programs in the sub-acute phase post-trauma are under-evaluated.
• This study addresses the need to evaluate such interventions for moderate-to-severe traumatic injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a self-management program (SEMPO) for patients 3-4 months post-moderate-to-severe traumatic injury.
• To assess the impact of patient treatment preferences through a self-selection arm.
• To provide evidence for improving post-trauma care and recovery.

Main Methods:

• Pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 220 participants (aged 18-72) from Oslo University Hospital.
• Inclusion criteria: moderate-to-severe traumatic injury (New Injury Severity Score > 9), ≥2 days hospital stay, and reported symptoms at discharge.
• Participants randomized to intervention, control, or self-selection arms; primary outcome is self-efficacy at 6 months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Primary outcome: self-efficacy in trauma coping at 6 months post-intervention.
• Secondary outcomes: symptom burden, physical functioning, disability, return to work, healthcare utilization, quality of life, and communication.
• Exploration of patient-preferred outcome measures.

Conclusions:

• The RCT will determine the effect of a tailored self-management program for moderate-to-severe physical trauma.
• The self-selection arm will analyze the influence of patient preferences on intervention outcomes.
• Findings will inform clinicians and policymakers on effective trauma recovery strategies.