Illness Perception and Treatment Expectations in Lateral Elbow Pain (LEP-IPTE)

July 20, 2026 updated by: Hasan Gerçek, Acibadem University

Determining the Predictors of Illness Perception and Treatment Expectations in Individuals With Lateral Elbow Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

This cross-sectional, correlational study aims to determine the predictors of illness perception and treatment expectations in adults with chronic lateral elbow pain. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical findings (pain intensity, pain duration, elbow-specific function) and psychosocial variables (pain self-efficacy, fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing) will be examined as candidate predictors of two patient-centred constructs: illness perception, measured with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and treatment expectation, measured with the Treatment Expectation Questionnaire. Data will be analysed using hierarchical multiple linear regression in three predictor blocks. The study is reported according to the STROBE statement.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
137

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults presenting with lateral elbow pain to a physiotherapy and rehabilitation outpatient unit in Istanbul, Turkey. Consecutive, non-probability sampling of eligible patients who consent to participate.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Diagnosis of lateral epicondylalgia or lateral elbow pain made by an orthopaedic surgeon or physiatrist
  • Pain intensity of at least 4 on the Numeric Rating Scale
  • Pain duration of at least 12 weeks (chronic)
  • Willing to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of any surgical procedure of the upper extremity
  • Cervical spine pathology
  • Inflammatory arthritis affecting the wrist or finger joints (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Active neurological disease or radiculopathy radiating to the upper extremity
  • Diagnosis of fibromyalgia or another widespread pain syndrome
  • Currently receiving active psychiatric treatment (e.g. psychosis, severe depression)
  • Pregnancy
  • Visual or cognitive impairment of a degree that would prevent completion of the questionnaires

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Adults with chronic lateral elbow pain
Adults aged 18 years or older, diagnosed with lateral epicondylalgia or lateral elbow pain by an orthopaedic surgeon or physiatrist, with pain of at least 4 out of 10 on the Numeric Rating Scale lasting 12 weeks or longer. Participants complete a single battery of self-report questionnaires; no intervention is applied.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Illness perception (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, B-IPQ)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
The B-IPQ is a 9-item self-report instrument assessing cognitive and emotional representations of illness. Eight items are rated on a 0 to 10 numeric scale covering consequences, timeline, personal control, treatment control, identity, concern, coherence and emotional representation; the ninth item is open-ended and asks about perceived causes. The total score ranges from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating a more threatening perception of the illness.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Treatment expectation (Treatment Expectation Questionnaire, TEX-Q)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
The TEX-Q assesses expectations of an upcoming treatment. Fifteen scored items are rated on an 11-point scale from 0 (no expectation at all) to 10 (expecting complete recovery from treatment); six additional items are not included in scoring. Higher scores indicate higher treatment expectation.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Self-reported lateral elbow pain intensity rated from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Pain self-efficacy (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, PSEQ)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Ten items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = not at all confident, 6 = completely confident), giving a total score of 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate greater confidence in performing activities despite pain.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Fear-avoidance beliefs (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, FABQ)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Sixteen items rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0 (completely disagree) to 6 (completely agree), assessing beliefs about the effect of physical activity and work on pain. Higher scores indicate stronger fear-avoidance beliefs.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, PCS)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Thirteen items with helplessness, magnification and rumination subscales, each rated from 0 (never) to 4 (all the time), giving a total score of 0 to 52. Higher scores indicate greater pain catastrophizing.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Elbow pain and function (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, PRTEE)
Time Frame: Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)
Fifteen items covering pain (5 items) and function (6 specific activity items and 4 usual activity items) over the past week. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater pain and loss of function.
Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Acibadem University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Hasan Gercek, PhD, Acibadem University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 31, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 5, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • AcibademHG1

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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