Table 1 Patient baseline characteristics

Age, mean (SD)

61.1 (14.8)

60.3 (15.1)

61.8 (14.5)

53.8 (17.8)

Female, n (%)

318 (60.7%)

133 (57.6%)

185 (63.1%)

416 (58.4%)

 1 (least deprived)

8 (1.5%)

7 (3.0%)

1 (0.3%)

11 (1.6%)

 2

55 (10.6%)

17 (7.4%)

38 (13.0%)

102 (14.4%)

 3

104 (19.9%)

55 (23.9%)

49 (16.7%)

152 (21.4%)

 4

143 (27.3%)

51 (22.2%)

92 (21.4%)

230 (32.4%)

 5 (most deprived)

213 (40.8%)

100 (43.5%)

113 (38.6%)

216 (30.4%)

 A

49 (9.4%)

49 (21.2%)

–

84 (11.8%)

 B

11 (2.1%)

–

11 (3.8%)

17 (2.4%)

 C

121 (23.1%)

–

121 (41.3%)

197 (27.6%)

 D

30 (5.7%)

30 (13.0%)

–

23 (3.2%)

 E

59 (11.3%)

59 (25.5%)

–

76 (10.7%)

 F

93 (17.8%)

93 (40.3%)

–

99 (13.9%)

 G

127 (24.2%)

–

127 (43.3%)

168 (23.6%)

 H

34 (6.5%)

–

34 (11.6%)

49 (6.9%)

 Knee

144 (27.5%)

62 (26.8%)

82 (28.0%)

–

 Neck

59 (11.3%)

30 (13.0%)

29 (9.9%)

–

 Back

155 (29.6%)

73 (31.6%)

82 (28.0%)

–

 Shoulder

124 (23.7%)

53 (22.9%)

71 (24.2%)

–

 Widespread pain

42 (8.0%)

13 (5.6%)

29 (9.9%)

–

  < 3 months

136 (26.0%)

69 (29.9%)

67 (22.9%)

–

 3–6 months

77 (14.7%)

32 (13.9%)

45 (15.4%)

–

 7–12 months

89 (17.0%)

38 (16.5%)

51 (17.4%)

–

 1–2 years

75 (14.3%)

30 (13.0%)

45 (15.4%)

–

 3–5 years

53 (10.1%)

21 (9.1%)

32 (10.9%)

–

 6–10 years

48 (9.2%)

20 (8.7%)

28 (9.6%)

–

  > 10 years

46 (8.8%)

21 (9.1%)

25 (8.5%)

–

 Never/rarely/sometimes

500 (96.9%)

222 (98.3%)

278 (95.9%)

–

 Often/always

16 (3.2%)

4 (1.8%)

12 (4.2%)

–

Comorbidities (No. of listed long-term conditions), n (%)

–

 0

186 (35.5%)

86 (37.2%)

100 (34.1%)

–

 1

161 (30.7%)

79 (34.2%)

82 (28.0%)

–

 2

130 (24.8%)

52 (22.5%)

78 (26.6%)

–

  ≥ 3

47 (9.0%)

14 (6.1%)

33 (11.3%)

–

Lives alone (Yes), n (%) [n = 523]

87 (16.6%)

40 (17.3%)

47 (16.1%)

–

Currently employed (Yes), n (%) [n = 509]

234 (46.0%)

104 (46.6%)

130 (45.5%)

–

Pain interference with performance at work (0–10, the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

4.28 (3.06) [n = 257]

3.87 (2.88) [n = 113]

4.60 (3.16) [n = 144]

–

Time-off-work last 6 m due to MSK pain, n (%) [n = 260]

66 (25.4%)

28 (24.8%)

38 (25.9%)

–

Receipt of written information from GP, n (%) [n = 520]

213 (41.0%)

163 (71.5%)

50 (17.1%)

–

Pain intensity (at the point of GP consultation) (0–10, the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

6.33 (2.05)

6.60 (1.93)

6.11 (2.11)

6.35 (2.10)^‡

Pain intensity (self-reported in baseline questionnaire)

(0–10, the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

6.21 (2.25) [n = 523]

6.22 (2.17) [n = 230]

6.21 (2.32) [n = 293]

–

Self-efficacy (confidence to manage MSK pain)

(0–10, the higher score the better), mean (SD)

5.43 (2.62) [n = 521]

5.41 (2.67) [n = 228]

5.44 (2.59) [n = 293]

–

Distress (0–10, the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

5.66 (2.61) [n = 524]

5.62 (2.60) [n = 231]

5.69 (2.61) [n = 293]

–

Days of moderate physical activity per week, median (IQR)

2 (0–4) [n = 521]

2 (0–4) [n = 230]

2 (0–4) [n = 291]

–

No. of previous MSK pain episodes, median (IQR)

5 (1–25) [n = 415]

5 (1–15) [n = 186]

5 (1–30) [n = 229]

–

MSK Risk status (Keele development version of the STarT MSK Tool – note it was not the final version), mean (SD) [n = 482]

–

 Low risk (0–3 score), n (%)

155 (32.2%)

67 (30.9%)

88 (33.2%)

–

 Medium risk (4–7 score), n (%)

263 (54.6%)

119 (54.8%)

144 (54.3%)

–

 High risk (8–9 score), n (%)

64 (13.3%)

31 (14.3%)

33 (12.5%)

–

Overall musculoskeletal health status (MSK-HQ) (0–56, the higher score the better), mean (SD)

29.6 (10.4) [n = 507]

29.9 (10.5) [n = 223]

29.4 (10.4) [n = 284]

–

Overall global change (−5–5, the higher score the better), mean (SD)

0.34 (2.08) [n = 523]

0.41 (2.19) [n = 230]

0.28 (1.99) [n = 293]

–

Fear-avoidance (using 11-item TSK, higher score the worse) mean (SD)

24.5 (6.80) [n = 511]

24.3 (6.60) [n = 224]

24.7 (6.94) [n = 287]

–

 Very satisfied, n (%)

140 (26.8%)

67 (29.1%)

73 (25.0%)

–

 Quite satisfied, n (%)

184 (35.3%)

81 (35.2%)

103 (35.3%)

–

 No opinion, n (%)

115 (22.0%)

43 (18.7%)

72 (24.7%)

–

 Not very satisfied, n (%)

74 (14.2%)

34 (14.8%)

40 (13.7%)

–

 Not at all satisfied, n (%)

9 (1.7%)

5 (2.2%)

4 (1.4%)

–

 Data gathering, mean (SD)

9.9 (4.3) [n = 502]

10.5 (4.6) [n = 223]

9.5 (4.1) [n = 279]

–

 Relationship building, mean (SD)

11.6 (4.2) [n = 499]

12.0 (4.4) [n = 220]

11.3 (3.9) [n = 279]

–

 Generic, mean (SD)

13.1 (4.7) [n = 507]

13.2 (5.0) [n = 224]

13.0 (4.5) [n = 283]

–

 Cognitive, mean (SD)

13.4 (4.7) [n = 510]

13.5 (4.9) [n = 223]

13.2 (4.6) [n = 287]

–

 Total, mean (SD)

48.0 (16.0) [n = 510]

49.2 (17.2) [n = 224]

47.1 (15.0) [n = 286]

–

Knee physical function using KOOS (the higher score the better), mean (SD)

42.9 (21.2) [n = 142]

44.0 (22.1) [n = 61]

42.0 (20.5) [n = 81]

–

Neck physical function using NDI (the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

16.1 (8.02) [n = 59]

14.6 (6.39) [n = 30]

17.7 (9.28) [n = 29]

–

Back physical function using RMDQ (the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

9.59 (5.50) [n = 155]

9.84 (5.40) [n = 73]

9.38 (5.57) [n = 82]

–

Shoulder function using SPADI-Function (the higher score the worse), mean (SD)

47.1 (24.8) [n = 124]

45.9 (25.3) [n = 53]

48.0 (24.5) [n = 71]

–

Multi-site physical function using SF12 PCS the higher score the better), mean (SD)

34.4 (9.52) [n = 42]

35.5 (9.35) [n = 13]

33.9 (9.72) [n = 29]

–

Quality of life using EQ5D-5 L, mean (SD)

0.56 (0.24) [n = 513]

0.55 (0.25) [n = 226]

0.57 (0.22) [n = 287]

–