Workers' Compensation Internet Low Back Pain Study

下背痛（LBP）影响多达50%的劳动力 这是最常见的索赔原因。在 此外，腰痛占所有工人的33%。 赔偿费用。卫生保健政策和研究机构发表了 处理LBP的指导方针，支持患者教育的使用。 不幸的是，大多数耐心的教育努力，最常见的是“回学校，“ 仅显示出适度的证据表明， 工作，或防止工作日损失。此外，他们还没有被证明 减少因工作或医疗保健利用而损失的天数。的一个原因 这些计划的有限有效性似乎是他们的医疗化， 他们只关注锻炼和身体力学。 我们建议在一项随机研究中评估新一代LBP计划， 这将不同于以往的计划，在其重点决策， 解决问题，早日恢复正常活动。教学模式 将通过一个封闭的，有节制的个性化持续小组教育， 互联网电子邮件讨论组，连同支持材料，一本书， 录像带 本研究的目的是开发和评估，在一年的探索性 随机试验，一个互联网电子邮件讨论组干预受伤 患有腰痛的工人领取工人补偿福利。四类 的结果将是1）健康相关的生活质量，2）工作中断，3） 卫生保健利用; 4）满意度。 如果成功，这项研究将开创新一代LBP干预措施 受伤的工人。干预有可能改善 与健康有关的生活质量，减少因工作和保健而损失的天数 利用率它成本低，易于复制。

Low back pain (LBP) affects as much as 50 percent of the workforce in any one year, and is the most common cause of compensation claims. In addition, low back pain accounts for about 33 percent of all workers' compensation costs. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research published guidelines for dealing with LBP that support the use pf patient education. Unfortunately, most patient education efforts, most commonly "back schools, " have shown only modest evidence of the ability to reduce pain, encourage return to work, or prevent days lost from work. In addition, they have not been shown to reduce days lost from work or health care utilization. One reason for the limited effectiveness of these programs appears to be their medicalization of the condition and their focus on just exercise and body mechanics. We propose to evaluate, in a randomized study, a new generation LBP program, which will differ from former programs in its emphasis on decision making, problem solving, and early return to normal activity. The mode of instruction will be personalized ongoing group education through a closed, moderated internet email discussion group, together with supportive materials, a book and videotape. The aim of the study is to develop and evaluate, in one-year exploratory randomized trial, an internet email discussion group intervention for injured workers with LBP receiving workers' compensation benefits. The four categories of outcomes will be 1) health related quality of life, 2) work disruption, 3) health care utilization, and 4) satisfaction. If successful, this study will pioneer a new generation of LBP interventions for injured workers. The intervention has the potential of improving health-related quality of life and reducing days lost from work and health care utilization. It is low-cost and easily replicable.