The EXODOL Study: on the experience of overweight or obese patients with back pain in routine clinical practice

The Exodol study, a project initiated by OAFI and led by the Dr Josep Vergés Milano, has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Santiago-Lugo, Galicia, for nationwide implementation.

What is the purpose of the study?

Being overweight and obesity can contribute to back pain, significantly affecting daily life, independence, emotional well-being and interactions with healthcare services. Standard clinical assessments do not always reflect these impacts from the patient’s perspective and experience. For this reason, the EXODOL study, initiated by OAFI, an independent, non-profit patient organisation with a scientific focus aims to assess the perspectives and experiences of people who are overweight or obese and suffer from back pain through an online questionnaire, which has been previously validated by patients and a multidisciplinary scientific committee of expert healthcare professionals.

By conducting this survey, the study will enable:

• The identification of potential barriers and facilitating factors in healthcare.
• An assessment of satisfaction, quality of life and experience with the care received.
• The development of recommendations to improve the management of these patients.

The findings of this study can be used to guide healthcare professionals and managers, as well as to promote a more person-centred and effective model of care. The Exodol study is being conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and its updates, as well as with current legislation in Spain and the European Union regarding research involving human subjects and the protection of personal data.

Why are they asking me to take part?

The EXODOL study focuses on people who meet the following criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Reside in Spain.
• Suffer from back pain.
• Be overweight or obese.
• Have started some form of treatment (pharmacological or non-pharmacological).
• Provide the necessary informed consent.

What does my role involve?

Your participation will involve completing this online questionnaire, available via Google Forms, which you can complete on a computer, tablet or mobile phone. The questionnaire is anonymous; no personally identifiable information (such as your name, email address or IP address) is collected. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and only needs to be filled in once.

This Exodol survey collects self-reported information on pain, treatments, quality of life and experience with the care received. Your participation does not alter or influence your usual healthcare and does not involve any additional medical procedures.

Possible inconveniences or problems

There are no clinical risks or inconveniences associated with the Exodol study. The only requirement is to spend a few minutes completing the questionnaire.

Benefits of taking part in Exodol

There are no direct benefits for you, either financial or clinical.

Your participation will help raise awareness of the patient experience and contribute to improving healthcare for people who are overweight and suffer from back pain.

Will I receive the results of the study?

If you wish, you can request a summary of the study results once it has been completed by sending an email to info@oafifoundation.com or by calling 931 594 015.

Will the results of this study be published?

The findings of this study are intended to be disseminated within the scientific and wider community through journals, conferences and other scientific or public-facing forums, always in aggregated and anonymised form, so that it will not be possible to identify any individual participant.

Furthermore, the results will be shared through the institutional channels of the OAFI Foundation and the collaborating scientific societies, with the aim of improving understanding of the experiences of people who are overweight or obese and suffer from back pain, and contributing to the improvement of healthcare.

Under no circumstances will any information be published that could personally identify you.

Information on the confidentiality and protection of your data

Data will be collected, stored and processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, EU 2016/679), Organic Law 36/2018 on the Protection of Personal Data and the Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPDPGDD), Law 14/2007 on Biomedical Research and Royal Decree 1716/2011. The information will be anonymised so that it cannot be linked to you, not even by the research team.

Are there any financial interests involved in this study?

The study is being conducted and coordinated exclusively by the OAFI Foundation, with no subcontracting involved. No researcher or participant has received or will receive any financial remuneration for their involvement. Should the results subsequently be used in commercial products or patents, participants will not receive any financial benefits.

How can I contact the research team behind this study?

You can make enquiries before, during or after the examination by calling 931 594 015 or by emailing info@oafifoundation.com 

👉 Click on the link and be part of the change: https://forms.gle/7UwgLmpFcGPDSyKi6

Thank you very much for your help; your involvement is key to improving healthcare for people who are overweight and suffer from back pain.