COMPASS: COMPrehensive ASsessment of Spinal pain to predict outcome
A promising means to effective treatment for spinal pain is a multidimensional assessment to identify people at risk of good or poor outcome from spinal pain, to inform targeted treatments. This project will use information from a comprehensive multidimensional assessment to predict future outcomes (pain and disability) in people with persistent neck and low back pain.
Project status: In progress
Globally, spinal pain is the leading condition requiring effective rehabilitation. Complexity and diversity of spinal pain contributes to limited success with unidimensional approaches. A promising means to effective rehabilitation is a multidimensional approach to assessment to identify people who are at risk of good or poor outcome, to inform targeted treatments.
The purpose of this study is to use information from a comprehensive multidimensional assessment in people with persistent low back and neck pain to predict their risk of good outcome (pain and disability) in the short-term (3 months), medium-term (6 months) and long-term (12 months).
We will invite 600 patients with persistent low back pain and 600 with persistent neck pain seeking physiotherapy care in London Ontario to participate. Comprehensive assessment will include questionnaires, impairments (for example strength), performance on a standardized task (for example walking tests), activity in a natural environment (for example daily steps) and biomarkers (for example, measurable signs of pain). Analysis of information will identify people who are at risk of good outcome 3, 6, and 12 months after seeking physiotherapy care.
To ensure results are trustworthy, we will invite additional patients in London Ontario, London UK and Sydney Australia to participate. We will evaluate the ability of results to discriminate between patients with good vs poor outcome, and agreement between predicted and observed outcome.
CANSpine Researchers
Katie Kowalski
Tim Noblet
Alison Rushton
Collaborators
Chris Bailey
Purpose
Leveraging a comprehensive multidimensional assessment of persistent low back and neck pain, this project aims to develop and validate predictive models of outcome (pain and disability) in the short-term (3 months), medium-term (6 months) and long-term (12 months).
Findings
This project is ongoing. We will provide our findings as soon as possible.
Impact
Results will enable predictions to be made about which patients are likely to have a good outcome following physiotherapy for persistent neck and low back pain. This will inform development of novel precision interventions and clinical decision making about how to best target treatment to patients based on need and likelihood to benefit, improving clinical and cost effectiveness of treatment.
