ATLAS follow-up study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Clinical course and prognostic indicators in patients presenting with back and leg pain in primary care: 3, 4 and 5 year prospective study (ATLAS study cohort)
IRAS ID
143896
Contact name
Elaine Hay
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Keel University
Research summary
Patients with back pain may or may not experience pain which spreads to their legs. Previous research has found that patients who have back and leg pain suffer more severe pain and disability, take longer to recover, and lose more time off work than those with back pain alone. However it is not known if this is because of the leg pain or some other related factors. One type of leg pain, called ’Nerve Root Pain’ often spreads below the knee and means there is a problem with the nerves in the spine. Doctors think it is important to distinguish between patients who have back pain alone, those with back and leg pain, and those with back pain and nerve root pain. This is so that these groups can be assessed and treated appropriately. We are currently conducting an observational study (ATLAS cohort) with the aim to describe over one year the clinical course, characteristics and factors that predict outcome in patients consulting in primary care with back and leg pain including sciatica. Our aim is to conduct longer term follow-ups (at 3, 4 and 5 years) of this established cohort in order to describe over a longer timeframe clinical course, characteristics, factors that predict outcome and health care utilisation over time including direct and indirect healthcare costs. We will also investigate similarities and/or differences of those factors at the different time points and characterise better what predicts short-term and long-term outcomes. This knowledge will inform better targeting of treatment to improve outcomes in patients with back and leg pain, which will be tested in future trials.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
13/NS/0170
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion