BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain is a common chronic condition whose treatment 
success can be improved by active involvement of patients. Patient involvement 
can be fostered by web-based applications combining health information with 
decision support or behaviour change support. These so-called Interactive Health 
Communication Applications (IHCAs) can reach great numbers of patients at low 
financial cost and provide information and support at the time, place and 
learning speed patients prefer. However, high attrition often seems to decrease 
the effects of web-based interventions. Tailoring content and tone of IHCAs to 
the individual patient ́s needs might improve usage and therefore effectiveness. 
This study aims to evaluate a tailored IHCA for people with chronic low back 
pain combining health information with decision support and behaviour change 
support.
METHODS/DESIGN: The tailored IHCA will be tested regarding effectiveness and 
usage against a standard website with identical content in a single-blinded 
randomized trial with a parallel design. The IHCA contains information on 
chronic low back pain and its treatment options including health behaviour 
change recommendations. In the intervention group the content is delivered in 
dialogue form, tailored to relevant patient characteristics (health literacy, 
coping style). In the control group there is no tailoring, a standard web-page 
is used for presenting the content. Participants are unaware of group 
assignment. Eligibility criteria are age ≥ 18 years , self- reported chronic low 
back pain, and Internet access. To detect the expected small effect (Cohen's 
d = 0.2), the sample aims to include 414 patients, with assessments at baseline, 
directly after the first on-page visit, and at 3-month follow-up using online 
self-report questionnaires. It is expected that the tailored IHCA has larger 
effects on knowledge and patient empowerment (primary outcomes) compared to a 
standard website. Secondary outcomes are website usage, preparation for decision 
making, and decisional conflict.
DISCUSSION: IHCAs can be a suitable way to promote knowledge about chronic low 
back pain and self-management competencies. Results of the study can increase 
the knowledge on how to develop IHCAs which are more useful and effective for 
people suffering from chronic low back pain.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Clinical Trials Registry DRKS00003322.