Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a novel, group self-management course for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial (COPERS)

Carnes, Dawn, Taylor, Stephanie J C, Homer, Kate E, Eldridge, Sandra, Bremner, Stephen A, Pincus, Tamar, Rahman, Anisur and Underwood, Martin (2013) Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a novel, group self-management course for adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial (COPERS). BMJ Open, 3, [e002492]. (doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002492).

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a common condition that often responds poorly to treatment. Self-management courses have beenadvocated as a non-drug pain management technique, although evidence for their effectiveness is equivocal. We designed and piloted a self-management course based on evidence for effectiveness for specific course components andcharacteristics. Methods/analysis: COPERS (coping with persistent pain, effectiveness research into self-management) is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an intensive,group, cognitive behavioural-based, theoretically informed and manualised self-management course for chronic pain patients against a control of bestusual care: a pain education booklet and a relaxation CD. The course lasts for 15 h, spread over 3 days, with a –2 h follow-up session 2 weeks later. We aimto recruit 685 participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain from primary, intermediate and secondary care services in two UK regions. The study is powered to show a standardised mean difference of 0.3 in the primary outcome, pain-related disability. Secondary outcomes include generichealth-related quality of life, healthcare utilisation, pain self-efficacy, coping, depression, anxiety and social engagement. Outcomes are measured at 6 and12 months postrandomisation. Pain self-efficacy is measured at 3 months to assess whether change mediates clinical effect. Ethics/dissemination: Ethics approval was given by Cambridgeshire Ethics 11/EE/046. This trial willprovide robust data on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an evidence-based, group self-management programme for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The published outcomes will help to inform future policy and practice around such self-management courses, both nationally and internationally.Trial registration: ISRCTN24426731.

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Contributors

Author: Tamar Pincus

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