OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify, at admission to a pain treatment facility, characteristics of patients who will be lost to follow-up after treatment completion. METHOD: Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on how they responded to the 12-month follow-up. The analysis was a between-subjects design using prospective data collected at a comprehensive pain treatment facility. Low back pain patients (n = 168) received 4 weeks of multidisciplinary pain treatment. The main outcome measure was response/nonresponse to follow-up questionnaires. RESULTS: showed that patients who were later lost to follow-up, or who were reluctant to answer follow-ups, could be predicted at treatment admission by measures of pain and functioning. The prediction equation was validated by a second group of patients, treatment noncompleters (n = 55). CONCLUSION: Chronic pain patients who are more likely to be lost to follow-up can be identified upon admission to a pain facility. Procedures that should decrease follow-up attrition could be implemented at program admission.
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify, at admission to a pain treatment facility, characteristics of patients who will be lost to follow-up after treatment completion. METHOD:Patients were divided into 3 groups depending on how they responded to the 12-month follow-up. The analysis was a between-subjects design using prospective data collected at a comprehensive pain treatment facility. Low back painpatients (n = 168) received 4 weeks of multidisciplinary pain treatment. The main outcome measure was response/nonresponse to follow-up questionnaires. RESULTS: showed that patients who were later lost to follow-up, or who were reluctant to answer follow-ups, could be predicted at treatment admission by measures of pain and functioning. The prediction equation was validated by a second group of patients, treatment noncompleters (n = 55). CONCLUSION: Chronic painpatients who are more likely to be lost to follow-up can be identified upon admission to a pain facility. Procedures that should decrease follow-up attrition could be implemented at program admission.
Authors: Sophie Cole; Spyros Kolovos; Anushka Soni; Antonella Delmestri; Maria T Sanchez-Santos; Andrew Judge; Nigel K Arden; Andrew David Beswick; Vikki Wylde; Rachael Gooberman-Hill; Rafael Pinedo-Villanueva Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-04-25 Impact factor: 3.006