Our aim was to better identify patients in need of vocational rehabilitation. The SIMBO questionnaire was translated into French and validated by comparing it with the OMPSQ questionnaire and by collecting patients’ work status at 6 months.
The SIMBO was translated and back-translated. Then, the SIMBO and OMPSQ questionnaires were completed by 62 patients who started a back school program. Work status was collected at 0 and 6 months, and the care team made a prediction regarding the return to work.
The SIMBO and OMPSQ questionnaires were significantly correlated (r=0.47). The 6-month work outcome was correct in 44% of cases for the OMPSQ questionnarie, 58% of cases for the SIMBO questionnaire (threshold >31), and 67% of cases for the team’s return to work prediction. When the SIMBO threshold was increased to >41, the percentage of correct predictions increased to 62%.
Conclusions: The OMPSQ score is not statistically relevant for predicting return to work. Care team prediction and SIMBO>41 are most accurate.
What is already known about the topic?
Chronic low back pain is responsible for a high rate of long-term absenteeism. The longer the sick leave, the lower the chances of returning to work. Returning chronic low back pain sufferers to work is a real challenge. There is no predictive back-to-work tool for chronic low back pain.
What does this article bring up for us?
The SIMBO questionnaire predicts patients who need rehabilitation to return to work. It has been validated in German and English.
We have translated and validated it in French. Unfortunately, it is not specific enough for the population targeted in this article.
Keywords
Chronic low back pain, return to work, SIMBO questionnaire