RISE Trial: Digital support after recent whiplash injury

Why participate in this study?

Providing early and effective support after a whiplash injury can help people recover following a road traffic crash. Digital health technologies such as text messaging may provide an accessible way for people to receive this support.

In this study, we will test how education and support can be provided via text messages to people who have experienced a whiplash injury in the last 12 weeks.

Who can take part?

You may be able to join if you:

are aged 18 years or older
have had a recent whiplash injury after a road traffic crash (within the past 12 weeks)
have a mobile phone and can receive text messages
report symptoms that suggest you be at risk of a slower recovery, which will be assessed by research staff during the screening eligibility process

How to register your interest

Recruitment is expected to open in October 2026. You can register your interest now by emailing the research team, and we will contact you when the study opens.

What happens if I join?

If eligible to participate in the study, you will complete online surveys before and after the digital intervention and at 3-months follow-up. The surveys will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
You will be allocated to one of two groups. Both groups will receive education and support via text messages, with some differences in the way and timing the information is provided. Participants are allocated to a group by chance (randomly) so that the groups can be compared fairly.
You will receive text message support over a period of 3-4 weeks.
Some people may also be invited to use a wearable device during the study.
At the end of the project, you may be invited to an interview to share your experiences of participating in the study.
This is a blinded study, which means you will not be told which of the two groups you have been allocated to during the study. This helps us compare the groups as fairly as possible.

Contact

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the study, please contact us. We are happy to receive all enquiries.

Dr Rachel Elphinston, Chief Investigator
E: rachelel@uq.edu.au

RISE research team
E: rise-team@uq.edu.au

This study has ethics approval from the Townsville Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/2025/QTHS/121935) and The University of Queensland. It is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12626000506392).