The Pilot of the Turku Outpatient Clinic for Functional and Fatigue Disorders (TOCliFFD)

The Pilot of the Turku Outpatient Clinic for Functional and Fatigue Disorders in the Welbeing Services County of Southwest Finland

This study examined 125 working-age patients from the Turku Outpatient Clinic for Functional and Fatigue Disorders. "Patients participate in the clinic's biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation. The aim of the rehabilitation is to improve patients' functional capacity and provide them with tools to manage and cope with their symptoms. In addition, the goal is to break the cycle of unnecessary examinations that cause harm to the patient. Socioeconomic data, as well as information related to functional capacity, symptoms, and quality of life, are collected from patients at the start of rehabilitation and again at six and twelve months after the beginning of rehabilitation. In addition, data on patients' use of social and health care services are requested from registers for the year preceding the start of rehabilitation and for the year following rehabilitation.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic; Functional Disorder; Persistent Physical Symptoms (PPS)
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation for patients with persisten symptoms

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 125

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Finland
  • Southwest Finland
    • Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland, 20520
      • Academic Health and Social Services Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of working-age patients with persistent symptoms in the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland. Referrals to the clinic were made from primary health care, occupational health care, private health services, and specialized health care.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients suffering persistent symptoms
• referred to the clinic between August 1, 2023 to April 30, 2025

Exclusion Criteria:

• ineligible for the study because of the need for extensive additional examinations in a specialized field, acute substance abuse problems, and/or lack of motivation.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Patients suffering persistent symptoms; The clinic's staff included a pilot project coordinator, a physician, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation counselor, and a ward secretary. At the physician's initial visit, stress system sensitization, burden factors, and need for symptomatic medication were assessed. In a joint rehabilitation team meeting, the patient met a psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and rehabilitation counselor, who conducted a multidisciplinary evaluation and created an individualized rehabilitation plan. Patients then attended a course for persistent bodily symptoms, with some joining a psychophysical breathing group. Individual rehabilitation or counseling was provided according to each patient's needs.

Behavioral: Biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary, and individually tailored rehabilitation for patients with persisten symptoms; The clinic's staff included a pilot project coordinator, a physician, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, a rehabilitation counselor, and a ward secretary. At the physician's initial visit, stress system sensitization, burden factors, and need for symptomatic medication were assessed. In a joint rehabilitation team meeting, the patient met a psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and rehabilitation counselor, who conducted a multidisciplinary evaluation and created an individualized rehabilitation plan. Patients then attended a course for persistent bodily symptoms, with some joining a psychophysical breathing group. Individual rehabilitation or counseling was provided according to each patient's needs.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Quality of life of the patients	WHOQOL-BREF	At baseline and at 6 and 12 months follow-ups

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Functional limitations of the patients	WHODAS 2.0	At baseline and at 6 and 12 months follow-up

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Use of social and health services	Number of visits and service fee per visits	At baseline and at 6 and 12 month follow-ups

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Turku University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 26, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 9, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 9, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 26, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Encephalomyelitis; Neuromuscular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
• Other Study ID Numbers: T1398-2023-2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Only upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No