Journal article
RISE for recovery after acute whiplash injury: protocol for a randomised feasibility trial of a clinician-supported SMS-based behavioural intervention
BMJ Open, Vol.16(9), pp.1-14
2026
PMID: 42727966
Abstract
Introduction: Whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) are the most common and costly consequence of road traffic injury (RTI). Providing early and effective treatment is a healthcare priority; however, current guideline-based care which focuses on education and physiotherapy-led exercise does not routinely address the psychosocial effects of trauma, and access to early integrated treatment is limited. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of delivering and evaluating recovery, information, support and empowerment (RISE), a co-designed short message service-based intervention integrating psychosocial and exercise/activity support for individuals with acute whiplash injury who are at risk of poor recovery in a randomised feasibility trial. Secondary aims are to explore preliminary changes in candidate clinical outcomes and opportunities for intervention personalisation and future implementation.
Methods and analysis: This mixed-methods randomised controlled feasibility trial with a nested process evaluation will recruit 50 participants (>18 years) with WAD grade II/III who are identified at medium to high risk of poor recovery and within 12 weeks of RTI from Queensland emergency departments and the community. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the RISE intervention (tailored, daily messaging+optional brief clinician support session/s) or an active control (general health-related text messages plus access to an online resource, My Whiplash Navigator). Feasibility outcomes, including recruitment and retention rates, data collection (including wearable-derived and economic data) and intervention uptake will be descriptively summarised and evaluated against pre-defined traffic light progression criteria. Acceptability will be examined using validated questionnaires and purpose-built items, qualitative interviews with intervention participants and focus groups with patients, clinicians and funders. Secondary aims will be addressed through preliminary estimates of between-group differences in patient-reported outcomes with 95% CIs and exploratory analysis of multimodal data (eg, wearable-derived physiological data, intervention engagement metrics) using a large language model where possible to inform future personalisation and implementation planning.
Ethics and dissemination: This trial is approved by the Townsville Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/QTHS/121395) and ratified by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of Queensland, which is the study sponsor (2025/HE002491). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and professional meetings.
Trial registration: ACTRN12626000506392; date registered: 23 April 2026; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=390706&isReview=true
Details
- Title
- RISE for recovery after acute whiplash injury: protocol for a randomised feasibility trial of a clinician-supported SMS-based behavioural intervention
- Authors
- Rachel A Elphinston (Corresponding Author) - The University of QueenslandJessica Formosa - The University of QueenslandNigel Armfield - The University of QueenslandAnton H van der Vegt - The University of QueenslandClaire E Ashton-James - The University of SydneyKatherine Brain - University of Newcastle AustraliaLisa Buckley - University of the Sunshine CoastChristopher Papic - The University of QueenslandAsaduzzaman Khan - The University of QueenslandChloe-Emily Eather - The University of QueenslandJenna Liimatainen - The University of QueenslandAndrew Hobbins King - Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health ServiceKim Hansen - Metro North Hospital and Health ServiceAndrew Staib - Princess Alexandra HospitalGaylene M Smith - The University of QueenslandTina Chen - The University of QueenslandKaren Wright - Metro North Hospital and Health ServiceElizabeth Garrad - Metro North Hospital and Health ServiceMichele Sterling - The University of Queensland
- Publication details
- BMJ Open, Vol.16(9), pp.1-14
- Publisher
- BMJ Group
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-123039
- ISSN
- 2044-6055
- PMID
- 42727966
- Copyright note
- © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ Group. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to copy, redistribute, remix, transform and build upon this work for any purpose, provided the original work is properly cited, a link to the licence is given, and indication of whether changes were made. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study.
- Grant note
- This study is funded in part by the Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance Commission Innovative Research Action Awards (MIRAA).
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991259385602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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