NCT05006976: NSAC

A Naturalistic Trial of Nudging Clinicians in the Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinic. The NSAC Nudge Study

Active, enrolled NA Last updated 13 April 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing NSAC health only in Musculoskeletal Disorder in 1,180 participants. Participants enrolled and being followed up; not accepting new ones.

Timeline

6 September 2021

Primary endpoint
12 April 2028

12 January 2033

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Nordlandssykehuset HF
Phase	NA
Status	Active, enrolled
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	double
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	1,180
Start date	6 September 2021
Primary completion	12 April 2028
Estimated completion	12 January 2033
Sites	5 locations across Norway

Drugs / interventions tested

• NSAC health only
• NSAC health + MBW

Conditions studied

• Musculoskeletal Disorder — all drugs for Musculoskeletal Disorder →
• Anxiety Disorders — all drugs for Anxiety Disorders →
• Depression — all drugs for Depression →
• Fatigue — all drugs for Fatigue →

Sponsor

Nordlandssykehuset HF

Who can join

23 and older, any sex, with Musculoskeletal Disorder or Anxiety Disorders. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The Norwegian Sickness Absence Clinic (NSAC) Nudge Study is a naturalistic randomized controlled multicentre trial which aim is to measure the efficacy of nudging clinicians' attention towards patients' motivation for work, barriers for return to work and work environment challenges, on functional recovery as primary outcome, and health outcomes as secondary outcome.

Patients will be recruited in five different NSACs across northern Norway. In total 1100 patients will be randomized to two equal probability treatment arms: 1) NSAC with the nudge, and 2) NSAC without the nudge. The nudge is tailored to the individual patient's needs using survey, and the clinicians are presented with a summary of this patient survey prior to consultations highlighting health problems and challenges as reported by the patient in the survey.

Publications & conference data

3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Naturalistic trial of nudging patients and clinicians in the Norwegian sickness absence clinics: a study protocol for the NSAC Nudge Study.
   Aars NA, Bardal I, Brinchmann B, Mykletun A. · · 2025 · cited 2× · PMID 40032398 · DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089758
2. Expanding the Focus on Work Factors in an Outpatient Setting: Does a Nudge of Patients and Clinicians have an Effect on Return-to-Work and Benefits? Findings from the NSAC Nudge Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial.
   Bardal I, Aars NAP, Trichet LO, Brandseth OL, et al · · 2025 · cited 1× · PMID 41385138 · DOI 10.1007/s10926-025-10343-x
3. Barriers for return to work as an iatrogenic effect of sickness absence: a proposed conceptual framework and questionnaire based on a cross-sectional study.
   Myhrer M, Brinchmann B, Trichet L, Aars NA, et al · · 2026 · PMID 41680726 · DOI 10.1186/s12889-026-26584-1