Vaes P1, Avau M1, Callewaert L-A1, Verbruggen M1
1Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Physiotherapy, Brussels, Belgium
Background: Therapy adherence leads to higher number and frequency of physical therapy treatment sessions and can therefore influence outcome. Lack of evidence remains to recommend the use of incentives to improve exercise adherence in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients; despite the presence of several studies showing positive effects of adherence stimulating strategie.
Purpose: The main purpose of the current study is to find out if the addition of sending text messages could increase compliance of effectively carrying out the instructed home exercises in patients with CLB.
Methods: Physical therapists included home exercises for all recruited CLBP patients. In addition the participants of the intervention group received text messages and exercise handouts during the first four weeks of an eight week PT treatment. Medical Ethics Committee University Hospital Brussels Belgium approval was granted. Outcome measures were: exercise adherence, self-reported exercise adherence (HECA) and adherence from the therapists' perspective (SIRAS).
Results: Significant negative effect over time for the self-reported exercise adherence in the intervention group (p=0.002). Also a significant difference was found for the self-reported exercise adherence that was better for women (p=0.038) in comparison to men.
Conclusion(s): This study did not show any general positive effect of text messages and exercise handouts on CLBP patients' exercise adherence. Limitations such as absence of blinding of the therapist for treatment allocation and repeated messages send to the control group to make sure they scored the evaluations might have led to the absence of any important differences in effects.
Implications: The results of this trial documents that
(1)reminding patients to perform home exercise by sending them messages on the day they do not receive treatment does not increase compliance compared to a control group,
(2) tools to register exercise compliance are biased by personal interpretation of the patient and the dependent observe.
Keywords: Home-exercise compliance, Non-specific chronic low back pain, Treatment adherence
Funding acknowledgements: no funding was received for this research project
Purpose: The main purpose of the current study is to find out if the addition of sending text messages could increase compliance of effectively carrying out the instructed home exercises in patients with CLB.
Methods: Physical therapists included home exercises for all recruited CLBP patients. In addition the participants of the intervention group received text messages and exercise handouts during the first four weeks of an eight week PT treatment. Medical Ethics Committee University Hospital Brussels Belgium approval was granted. Outcome measures were: exercise adherence, self-reported exercise adherence (HECA) and adherence from the therapists' perspective (SIRAS).
Results: Significant negative effect over time for the self-reported exercise adherence in the intervention group (p=0.002). Also a significant difference was found for the self-reported exercise adherence that was better for women (p=0.038) in comparison to men.
Conclusion(s): This study did not show any general positive effect of text messages and exercise handouts on CLBP patients' exercise adherence. Limitations such as absence of blinding of the therapist for treatment allocation and repeated messages send to the control group to make sure they scored the evaluations might have led to the absence of any important differences in effects.
Implications: The results of this trial documents that
(1)reminding patients to perform home exercise by sending them messages on the day they do not receive treatment does not increase compliance compared to a control group,
(2) tools to register exercise compliance are biased by personal interpretation of the patient and the dependent observe.
Keywords: Home-exercise compliance, Non-specific chronic low back pain, Treatment adherence
Funding acknowledgements: no funding was received for this research project
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine; Primary health care
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Ethics committee: University Hospital VUBrussel
Ethics number: B.U.N.143201733280
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
