Outcomes of Telehealth Physical Therapy Provided Using Real-Time, Videoconferencing for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Longitudinal Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the feasibility of an evidence-based physical therapy (PT) program for persons with chronic low back pain (LBP) originally designed for in-person delivery, adapted for telehealth using videoconferencing. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal cohort. SETTING: Three health care systems in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Adults, aged 18-64 years (N=126), with chronic LBP recruited from August through December 2020. INTERVENTION: Up to 8 weekly sessions of telehealth PT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Follow-up assessments were 10 and 26 weeks after baseline. Participant outcomes collected were the Oswestry Disability Index, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 health domains, and pain self-efficacy. Implementation outcomes included acceptability, adoption, feasibility, and fidelity assessed using participant surveys and compliance with session attendance. RESULTS: We enrolled 126 participants (mean age, 51.5 years; 62.7% female). Baseline perceptions about telehealth were generally positive. Eighty-eight participants (69.8%) initiated telehealth PT, with a median of 5 sessions attended. Participants in telehealth PT were generally satisfied (76.3%), although only 39.5% perceived the quality equal to in-person PT. Telehealth PT participants reported significant improvement in LBP-related disability, pain intensity, pain interference, physical function, and sleep disturbance at 10- and 26-week follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS: The findings generally support the feasibility of telehealth PT using videoconferencing. Implementation and participant outcomes were similar to in-person PT as delivered in the participating health care systems. We identified barriers that may detract from the patient experience and likelihood of benefitting from telehealth PT. More research is needed to optimize and evaluate the most effective strategies for providing telehealth PT for patients with chronic LBP.

Identifying Perceptions, Experiences, and Recommendations of Telehealth Physical Therapy for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Mixed Methods Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To describe concerns, advantages, and disadvantages encountered in an evidence-based physical therapy (PT) program for persons with chronic low back pain (CLBP) delivered by telehealth. DESIGN: Mixed methods survey and semistructured interview of persons with CLBP. SETTING: Prospective observational cohort study of persons with CLBP from 3 health care systems receiving 8 sessions of evidence-based telehealth PT. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were selected after completing week 10 (from baseline) assessment from an ongoing cohort study. We enrolled 31 of 126 participants (mean age, 42.4 years; 71.0% female) from the cohort study (N=31). INTERVENTIONS: Participants had completed 8 sessions of evidence-based telehealth PT and participated in semistructured interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline and week 10 and 26 assessments assessed psychosocial risk (StarTBack Screening Tool), working alliance (Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form), pain (Oswestry Disability Index), and health-related quality of life (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 profile, version 2). Semistructured interviews were conducted by telephone and consisted of open-ended questions assessing perception, satisfaction, and likelihood of recommending telehealth PT. Participants identified advantages and disadvantages to telehealth PT. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using an iterative qualitative process. Statistical comparisons by experience were made using analysis of variance (continuous) and Fisher exact test (categorical). RESULTS: Compared with the negative experience group (n=5), participants in positive (n=16) and neutral (n=10) experience groups endorsed higher bond working alliance with their therapist. Participants with a positive experience were more likely to view telehealth PT as cost-saving (n=10, 62.5%) compared with those with a neutral (n=1, 10.0%) or negative (n=1, 20.0%) experience and less likely to view telehealth PT as lower quality (n=0, 0.0%; n=1, 10.0%; n=2, 40.0%, respectively). Prior to starting telehealth, based on semistructured interviews, 18 participants (58.1%) had concerns and these persisted after starting in half of this group. Concerns regarded telehealth being different from or inferior to in-person PT, lack of physical correction, and worries of not using technology appropriately. Convenience, time savings, and personalization were seen as advantages. Difficulty making a personal connection with the therapist, lack of physical correction, and problems with technology were seen as disadvantages. Many participants endorsed a hybrid approach that included in-person and telehealth PT. Providing necessary equipment and technology assistance was seen as ways to improve telehealth PT experience. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth is an acceptable modality to deliver PT for patients with CLBP with most having a positive experience and reporting advantages. Improvements could include offering a hybrid approach (in-person and telehealth combined) and providing necessary equipment and technical support. More research is needed to optimize the most effective strategies for providing telehealth PT for patients with CLBP.

Physical Therapy Referral From Primary Care for Acute Back Pain With Sciatica : A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined primary care management for acute sciatica, including referral to physical therapy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether early referral to physical therapy reduced disability more than usual care (UC) alone for patients with acute sciatica. DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02391350). SETTING: 2 health care systems in Salt Lake City, Utah. PATIENTS: 220 adults aged 18 to 60 years with sciatica of less than 90 days' duration who were making an initial primary care consultation. INTERVENTION: All participants received imaging and medication at the discretion of the primary care provider before enrollment. A total of 110 participants randomly assigned to UC were provided 1 session of education, and 110 participants randomly assigned to early physical therapy (EPT) were provided 1 education session and then referred for 4 weeks of physical therapy, including exercise and manual therapy. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the Oswestry Disability Index (OSW) score after 6 months. Secondary outcomes were pain intensity, patient-reported treatment success, health care use, and missed workdays. RESULTS: Participants in the EPT group had greater improvement from baseline to 6 months for the primary outcome (relative difference, -5.4 points [95% CI, -9.4 to -1.3 points]; P = 0.009). The OSW and several secondary outcomes favored EPT after 4 weeks. After 1 year, between-group differences favored EPT for the OSW (relative difference, -4.8 points [CI, -8.9 to -0.7 points]) and back pain intensity (relative difference, -1.0 points [CI, -1.6 to -0.4 points]). The EPT group was more likely to self-report treatment success after 1 year (45.2%) than the UC group (27.6%) (relative risk, 1.6 [CI, 1.1 to 2.4]). There were no significant differences in health care use or missed workdays. LIMITATION: The patients and providers were unblinded, and specific physical therapy interventions responsible for effects could not be determined. CONCLUSION: Referral from primary care to physical therapy for recent-onset sciatica improved disability and other outcomes compared with UC. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Identifying patients who access musculoskeletal physical therapy: a retrospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal conditions are common and cause high levels of disability and costs. Physical therapy is recommended for many musculoskeletal conditions. Past research suggests that referral rates appear to have increased over time, but the rate of accessing a physical therapist appears unchanged. OBJECTIVE: Our retrospective cohort study describes the rate of physical therapy use after referral for a variety of musculoskeletal diagnoses while comparing users and non-users of physical therapy services after referral. METHODS: The study sample included patients in the University of Utah Health system who received care from a medical provider for a musculoskeletal condition. We included a comprehensive set of variables available in the electronic data warehouse possibly associated with attending physical therapy. Our primary analysis compared differences in patient factors between physical therapy users and non-users using Poisson regression. RESULTS: 15 877 (16%) patients had a referral to physical therapy, and 3812 (24%) of these patients accessed physical therapy after referral. Most of the factors included in the model were associated with physical therapy use except for sex and number of comorbidities. The receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.63 suggesting poor predictability of the model but it is likely related to the heterogeneity of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: We found that obesity, ethnicity, public insurance and urgent care referrals were associated with poor adherence to physical therapy referral. However, the limited predictive power of our model suggests a need for a deeper examination into factors that influence patients access to a physical therapist.

Linking AM-PAC Cognition to PROMIS Cognitive Function.

OBJECTIVE: To link the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) Applied Cognition to the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive Function, allowing for a common metric across scales. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive sample of 500 participants (N=500) aged ≥18 years presenting for outpatient therapy (physical, occupation, speech). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AM-PAC Medicare and Generic Cognition short forms and PROMIS Cognitive Function items representing the PROMIS Cognitive Function item bank. RESULTS: The calibration of 25 AM-PAC cognition items with 11 fixed PROMIS cognitive function item parameters using item-response theory indicated that items were measuring the same underlying construct (cognition). Both scales measured a wide range of functioning. The AM-PAC Generic Cognitive assessment showed more reliability with lower levels of cognition, whereas the PROMIS Cognitive Function full-item bank was more reliable across a larger distribution of scores. Data were appropriate for a fixed-anchor item response theory-based crosswalk and AM-PAC Cognition raw scores were mapped onto the PROMIS metric. CONCLUSIONS: The crosswalk developed in this study allows for converting scores from the AM-PAC Applied Cognition to the PROMIS Cognitive Function scale.

Effect of Patient Use of Physical Therapy After Referral for Musculoskeletal Conditions on Future Medical Utilization: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether physical therapy use influenced subsequent use of musculoskeletal-related surgeries, injections, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other imaging. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 18 to 64 years who had an ambulatory care visit at the University of Utah system, after implementation of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems with adequate data collection in the system at the time of the data pull, between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2018. We identified patients (n = 85 186) who received care for a musculoskeletal condition (lower back pain, cervical, knee, shoulder, hip, elbow, ankle, wrist/hand, thoracic, and arthritis diagnoses). Regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between physical therapy use and medical care use while controlling for relevant factors. RESULTS: In patients referred to physical therapy (n = 15 870), physical therapy use (n = 3812) was associated with increased MRI use (incidence rate ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.33; P < .001) and surgery use (incidence rate ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.23; P < .001). Several other factors were also associated with increased health care use, including being referred by an orthopedic provider, obesity, non-lower back pain diagnoses, and having 1 or more comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Outpatient physical therapy use for musculoskeletal conditions in adult patients younger than 65 years at the University of Utah system, a mountain west United States academic health care system, was associated with increased rates of MRI and surgery. This finding is contrary to prior research suggesting that physical therapy improves outcomes in some diagnosis groups. A referral from an orthopedic provider, non-lower back pain diagnoses, and obesity were also associated with increased medical care utilization.

Two-Year Trajectory of Fall Risk in People With Parkinson Disease: A Latent Class Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine fall risk trajectories occurring naturally in a sample of individuals with early to middle stage Parkinson disease (PD). DESIGN: Latent class analysis, specifically growth mixture modeling (GMM), of longitudinal fall risk trajectories. SETTING: Assessments were conducted at 1 of 4 universities. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling participants with PD of a longitudinal cohort study who attended at least 2 of 5 assessments over a 2-year follow-up period (N=230). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fall risk trajectory (low, medium, or high risk) and stability of fall risk trajectory (stable or fluctuating). Fall risk was determined at 6 monthly intervals using a simple clinical tool based on fall history, freezing of gait, and gait speed. RESULTS: The GMM optimally grouped participants into 3 fall risk trajectories that closely mirrored baseline fall risk status (P=.001). The high fall risk trajectory was most common (42.6%) and included participants with longer and more severe disease and with higher postural instability and gait disability (PIGD) scores than the low and medium fall risk trajectories (P<.001). Fluctuating fall risk (posterior probability <0.8 of belonging to any trajectory) was found in only 22.6% of the sample, most commonly among individuals who were transitioning to PIGD predominance. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of their baseline characteristics, most participants had clear and stable fall risk trajectories over 2 years. Further investigation is required to determine whether interventions to improve gait and balance may improve fall risk trajectories in people with PD.

Predictors of clinical outcome following lumbar disc surgery: the value of historical, physical examination, and muscle function variables.

PURPOSE: Explore the relationships between preoperative findings and clinical outcome following lumbar disc surgery, and investigate the prognostic value of physical examination findings after accounting for information acquired from the clinical history. METHODS: We recruited 55 adult patients scheduled for first time, single-level lumbar discectomy. Participants underwent a standardized preoperative evaluation including real-time ultrasound imaging assessment of lumbar multifidus function, and an 8-week postoperative rehabilitation programme. Clinical outcome was defined by change in disability, and leg and low back pain (LBP) intensity at 10 weeks. Linear regression models were used to identify univariate and multivariate predictors of outcome. RESULTS: Univariate predictors of better outcome varied depending on the outcome measure. Clinical history predictors included a greater proportion of leg pain to LBP, pain medication use, greater time to surgery, and no history of previous physical or injection therapy. Physical examination predictors were a positive straight or cross straight leg raise test, diminished lower extremity strength, sensation or reflexes, and the presence of postural abnormality or pain peripheralization. Preoperative pain peripheralization remained a significant predictor of improved disability (p = 0.04) and LBP (p = 0.02) after accounting for information from the clinical history. Preoperative lumbar multifidus function was not associated with clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Information gleaned from the clinical history and physical examination helps to identify patients more likely to succeed with lumbar disc surgery. While this study helps to inform clinical practice, additional research confirming these results is required prior to confident clinical implementation.

The prognostic value of electrodiagnostic testing in patients with sciatica receiving physical therapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic value of electrodiagnostic testing in patients with sciatica receiving physical therapy. METHODS: Electrodiagnostic testing was performed on 38 patients with sciatica participating in a randomized trial comparing different physical therapy interventions. Patients were grouped and analyzed according to the presence or absence of radiculopathy based on electrodiagnostic testing. Longitudinal data analysis was conducted using multilevel growth modeling with ten waves of data collected from baseline through the treatment and post-treatment periods up to 6 months. The primary outcome measure was changes in low back pain-related disability assessed using the Roland and Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ). RESULTS: Patients with radiculopathy (n = 19) had statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in RMDQ scores at every post-treatment follow-up occasion regardless of treatment received. The final multilevel growth model revealed improvements in RMDQ scores in patients with radiculopathy at the 6-week (-8.1, 95 % CI -12.6 to -2.6; P = 0.006) and 6-month (-4.1, 95 % CI -7.4 to -0.7; P = 0.020) follow-up occasions compared to patients without radiculopathy. Treatment group was not a significant predictive factor at any follow-up occasion. An interaction between electrodiagnostic status and time revealed faster weekly improvements in RMDQ scores in patients with radiculopathy at the 6-week (-0.72, 95 % CI -1.4 to -0.04; P = 0.040) through the 16-week (-0.30, 95 % CI, -0.57 to -0.04; P = 0.028) follow-up occasions compared to patients without radiculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of lumbosacral radiculopathy identified with electrodiagnostic testing is a favorable prognostic factor for recovery in low back pain-related disability regardless of physical therapy treatment received.

Early multimodal rehabilitation following lumbar disc surgery: a randomised clinical trial comparing the effects of two exercise programmes on clinical outcome and lumbar multifidus muscle function.

BACKGROUND: The optimal components of postoperative exercise programmes following single-level lumbar discectomy have not been identified. Facilitating lumbar multifidus (LM) function after discectomy may improve postoperative recovery. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and muscle function outcomes of patients randomised to receive early multimodal rehabilitation following lumbar discectomy consisting of exercises targeting specific trunk muscles including the LM or general trunk exercises. METHODS: We included participants aged 18 to 60 years who were scheduled to undergo single-level lumbar discectomy. After two postoperative weeks, participants were randomly assigned to receive an 8-week multimodal exercise programme including either general or specific trunk exercises. The primary outcome was pain-related disability (Oswestry Index). Secondary outcomes included low back and leg pain intensity (0-10 numeric pain rating scale), global change, sciatica frequency, sciatica bothersomeness and LM function measured with real-time ultrasound imaging. Treatment effects 10 weeks and 6 months after surgery were estimated with linear mixed models. RESULTS: 61 participants were randomised to receive a general trunk (n=32) or specific (n=29) exercise programme. There were no between-group differences in clinical or muscle function outcomes. Participants in both groups experienced improvements in most outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Following lumbar discectomy, multimodal rehabilitation programmes comprising specific or general trunk exercises have similar effects on clinical and muscle function outcomes. Local factors such as the individual patient characteristics identified by specific assessment findings, clinician expertise and patient preferences should direct therapy selection when considering the types of exercises tested in this trial for inclusion in rehabilitation programmes following lumbar disc surgery.

Early Physical Therapy vs Usual Care in Patients With Recent-Onset Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Low back pain (LBP) is common in primary care. Guidelines recommend delaying referrals for physical therapy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether early physical therapy (manipulation and exercise) is more effective than usual care in improving disability for patients with LBP fitting a decision rule. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized clinical trial with 220 participants recruited between March 2011 and November 2013. Participants with no LBP treatment in the past 6 months, aged 18 through 60 years (mean age, 37.4 years [SD, 10.3]), an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score of 20 or higher, symptom duration less than 16 days, and no symptoms distal to the knee in the past 72 hours were enrolled following a primary care visit. INTERVENTIONS: All participants received education. Early physical therapy (n = 108) consisted of 4 physical therapy sessions. Usual care (n = 112) involved no additional interventions during the first 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcome was change in the ODI score (range: 0-100; higher scores indicate greater disability; minimum clinically important difference, 6 points) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in the ODI score at 4-week and 1-year follow-up, and change in pain intensity, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) score, fear-avoidance beliefs, quality of life, patient-reported success, and health care utilization at 4-week, 3-month, and 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: One-year follow-up was completed by 207 participants (94.1%). Using analysis of covariance, early physical therapy showed improvement relative to usual care in disability after 3 months (mean ODI score: early physical therapy group, 41.3 [95% CI, 38.7 to 44.0] at baseline to 6.6 [95% CI, 4.7 to 8.5] at 3 months; usual care group, 40.9 [95% CI, 38.6 to 43.1] at baseline to 9.8 [95% CI, 7.9 to 11.7] at 3 months; between-group difference, -3.2 [95% CI, -5.9 to -0.47], P = .02). A significant difference was found between groups for the ODI score after 4 weeks (between-group difference, -3.5 [95% CI, -6.8 to -0.08], P = .045]), but not at 1-year follow-up (between-group difference, -2.0 [95% CI, -5.0 to 1.0], P = .19). There was no improvement in pain intensity at 4-week, 3-month, or 1-year follow-up (between-group difference, -0.42 [95% CI, -0.90 to 0.02] at 4-week follow-up; -0.38 [95% CI, -0.84 to 0.09] at 3-month follow-up; and -0.17 [95% CI, -0.62 to 0.27] at 1-year follow-up). The PCS scores improved at 4 weeks and 3 months but not at 1-year follow-up (between-group difference, -2.7 [95% CI, -4.6 to -0.85] at 4-week follow-up; -2.2 [95% CI, -3.9 to -0.49] at 3-month follow-up; and -0.92 [95% CI, -2.7 to 0.61] at 1-year follow-up). There were no differences in health care utilization at any point. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among adults with recent-onset LBP, early physical therapy resulted in statistically significant improvement in disability, but the improvement was modest and did not achieve the minimum clinically important difference compared with usual care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01726803.

The Effect of Combining Spinal Manipulation and Dry Needling in Individuals With Nonspecific Low Back Pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common and costly musculoskeletal conditions impacting health care in the United States. The development of multimodal strategies of treatment is imperative in order to curb the growing incidence and prevalence of LBP. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), dry needling (DN), and exercise are common nonpharmacological treatments for LBP. This study is a 3-armed parallel-group design randomized clinical trial. We enrolled and randomized 96 participants with LBP into a multimodal strategy of treatment consisting of a combination of DN and SMT, DN only, and SMT only, followed by an at-home exercise program. All participants received 4 treatment sessions in the first 2 weeks followed by a 2-week home exercise program. Outcomes included clinical (Oswestry Disability Index, numeric pain intensity rating) and mechanistic (lumbar multifidus, erector spinae, and gluteus medius muscle activation) measures at baseline, 2, and 4 weeks. Participants in the DN and SMT groups showed larger effects and statistically significant improvement in pain and disability scores, and muscle percent thickness change at 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment when compared to the other groups. This study was registered prior to participant enrollment. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the process of developing an optimized multimodal treatment plan utilizing SMT, DN, and exercise to address the burden of LBP for impacted individuals and the health care system. This method could potentially help clinicians who treat LBP to lower initial pain and increase exercise compliance. (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05802901).

Use of implementation mapping in the planning of a hybrid type 1 pragmatic clinical trial: the BeatPain Utah study.

BACKGROUND: Considerable disparities in chronic pain management have been identified. Persons in rural, lower income, and minoritized communities are less likely to receive evidence-based, nonpharmacologic care. Telehealth delivery of nonpharmacologic, evidence-based interventions for persons with chronic pain is a promising strategy to lessen disparities, but implementation comes with many challenges. The BeatPain Utah study is a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation pragmatic clinical trial investigating telehealth strategies to provide nonpharmacologic care from physical therapists to persons with chronic back pain receiving care in ommunity health centers (CHCs). CHCs provide primary care to all persons regardless of ability to pay. This paper outlines the use of implementation mapping to develop a multifaceted implementation plan for the BeatPain study. METHODS: During a planning year for the BeatPain trial, we developed a comprehensive logic model including the five-step implementation mapping process informed by additional frameworks and theories. The five iterative implementation mapping steps were addressed in the planning year: (1) conduct needs assessments for involved groups; (2) identify implementation outcomes, performance objectives, and determinants; (3) select implementation strategies; (4) produce implementation protocols and materials; and (5) evaluate implementation outcomes. RESULTS: CHC leadership/providers, patients, and physical therapists were identified as involved groups. Barriers and assets were identified across groups which informed identification of performance objectives necessary to implement two key processes: (1) electronic referral of patients with back pain in CHC clinics to the BeatPain team and (2) connecting patients with physical therapists providing telehealth. Determinants of the performance objectives for each group informed our choice of implementation strategies which focused on training, education, clinician support, and tailoring physical therapy interventions for telehealth delivery and cultural competency. We selected implementation outcomes for the BeatPain trial to evaluate the success of our implementation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation mapping provided a comprehensive and systematic approach to develop an implementation plan during the planning phase for our ongoing hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. We will be able to evaluate the implementation strategies used in the BeatPain Utah study to inform future efforts to implement telehealth delivery of evidence-based pain care in CHCs and other settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04923334 . Registered June 11, 2021.

Examining the Relationship Between Individual Patient Factors and Substantial Clinical Benefit From Telerehabilitation Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

OBJECTIVE: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has facilitated the emergence of telerehabilitation, but it is unclear which patients are most likely to respond to physical therapy provided this way. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between individual patient factors and substantial clinical benefit from telerehabilitation among a cohort of patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of data collected during a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Patients with chronic LBP (N = 98) were provided with a standardized physical therapy protocol adapted for telerehabilitation. We examined the relationship between patient factors and substantial clinical benefit with telerehabilitation, defined as a ≥50% improvement in disability at 10 weeks, measured using the Oswestry Disability Index. RESULTS: Sixteen (16.3%) patients reported a substantial clinical benefit from telerehabilitation. Patients reporting substantial clinical benefit from telerehabilitation had lower initial pain intensity, lower psychosocial risk per the STarT Back Screening Tool, higher levels of pain self-efficacy, and reported higher therapeutic alliance with their physical therapist compared to other patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with lower psychosocial risk and higher pain-self efficacy experienced substantial clinical benefit from telerehabilitation for chronic LBP more often than other patients in our cohort. Therapeutic alliance was higher among patients who experienced a substantial clinical benefit compared to those who did not. IMPACT: This study indicates that psychosocial factors play an important role in the outcomes of patients receiving telerehabilitation for chronic LBP. Baseline psychosocial screening may serve as a method for identifying patients likely to benefit from this approach.

Use of implementation mapping in the planning of a hybrid type 1 pragmatic clinical trial: the BeatPain Utah study.

Background: Considerable disparities in chronic pain management have been identified. Persons in rural, lower income and minoritized communities are less likely to receive evidence-based, nonpharmacologic care. Telehealth delivery of nonpharmacologic, evidence-based interventions for persons with chronic pain is a promising strategy to lessen disparities, but implementation comes with many challenges. The BeatPain Utah study is a hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation pragmatic clinical trial investigating telehealth strategies to provide nonpharmacologic care from physical therapists to persons with chronic back pain receiving care in Community Health Centers (CHCs). CHCs provide primary care to all persons regardless of ability to pay. This paper outlines the use of implementation mapping to develop a multifaceted implementation plan for the BeatPain study. Methods: During a planning year for the BeatPain trial we developed a comprehensive logic model including the 5-step implementation mapping process informed by additional frameworks and theories. The five iterative implementation mapping steps were addressed in the planning year; 1) conduct needs assessments for involved groups; 2) identify implementation outcomes, performance objectives and determinants; 3) select implementation strategies; 4) produce implementation protocols and materials; and 5) evaluate implementation outcomes. Results: CHC leadership/providers, patients and physical therapists were identified as involved groups. Barriers and assets were identified across groups which informed identification of performance objectives necessary to implement two key processes; 1) electronic referral of patients with back pain in CHC clinics to the BeatPain team; and 2) connecting patients with physical therapists providing telehealth. Determinants of the performance objectives for each group informed our choice of implementation strategies which focused on training, education, clinician support and tailoring physical therapy interventions for telehealth delivery and cultural competency. We selected implementation outcomes for the BeatPain trial to evaluate the success of our implementation strategies. Conclusions: Implementation mapping provided a comprehensive and systematic approach to develop an implementation plan during the planning phase for our ongoing hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. We will be able to evaluate the implementation strategies used in the BeatPain Utah study to inform future efforts to implement telehealth delivery of evidence-based pain care in CHCs and other settings. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04923334. Registered June 11, 2021 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04923334.

Effectiveness of training physical therapists in pain neuroscience education for patients with chronic spine pain: a cluster-randomized trial.

ABSTRACT: Chronic spinal pain poses complex challenges for health care around the world and is in need of effective interventions. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) is a promising intervention hypothesized to improve pain and disability by changing individuals' beliefs, perceptions, and expectations about pain. Pain neuroscience education has shown promise in small, controlled trials when implemented in tightly controlled situations. Exploration of promising interventions through more pragmatic methodologies is a crucial but understudied step towards improving outcomes in routine clinical care. The purpose was to examine the impact of pragmatic PNE training on clinical outcomes in patients with chronic spine pain. The cluster-randomized clinical trial took place in 45 outpatient physical therapist (PT) clinics. Participants included 108 physical therapists (45 clinics and 16 clusters) and 319 patients. Clusters of PT clinics were randomly assigned to either receive training in PNE or no intervention and continue with usual care (UC). We found no significant differences between groups for our primary outcome at 12 weeks, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function computer adaptive test {mean difference = 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.73 to 2.83), P = 0.25}. The PNE group demonstrated significant greater improvements in pain self-efficacy at 12 and 2 weeks compared with no intervention (mean difference = 3.65 [95% CI: 0.00-7.29], P = 0.049 and = 3.08 [95% CI: 0.07 to -6.09], P = 0.045, respectively). However, a similar percentage of participants in both control (41.1%) and treatment (44.4%) groups reported having received the treatment per fidelity question (yes or no to pain discussed as a perceived threat) at 2 weeks. Pragmatic PT PNE training and delivery failed to produce significant functional changes in patients with chronic spinal pain but did produce significant improvement in pain self-efficacy over UC PT.

Rehabilitation to Improve Gaze and Postural Stability in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) frequently experience dizziness and imbalance that may be caused by central vestibular system dysfunction. Vestibular rehabilitation may offer an approach for improving dysfunction in these people. OBJECTIVE: To test the efficacy of a gaze and postural stability (GPS) retraining intervention compared to a strength and endurance (SAE) intervention in PwMS. METHODS: About 41 PwMS, with complaints of dizziness or history of falls, were randomized to either the GPS or SAE groups. Following randomization participants completed 6-weeks of 3×/week progressive training, delivered one-on-one by a provider. Following intervention, testing was performed at the primary (6-weeks) and secondary time point (10-weeks). A restricted maximum likelihood estimation mixed effects model was used to examine changes in the primary outcome of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) between the 2 groups at the primary and secondary time point. Similar models were used to explore secondary outcomes between groups at both timepoints. RESULTS: Thirty-five people completed the study (17 GPS; 18 SAE). The change in the DHI at the primary time point was not statistically different between the GPS and SAE groups (mean difference = 2.33 [95% CI -9.18, 12.85]). However, both groups demonstrated significant improvement from baseline to 6-weeks (GPS -8.73; SAE -7.31). Similar results were observed for secondary outcomes and at the secondary timepoint. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of PwMS with complaints of dizziness or imbalance, 6-weeks of GPS training did not result in significantly greater improvements in dizziness handicap or balance compared to 6-weeks of SAE training.

Implementing a Dutch Physical Therapy Intervention Into a U.S. Health System: Selecting Strategies Using Implementation Mapping.

Background: Coach2Move is a person-centered physical therapy intervention that has demonstrated success in changing physical activity behaviors among older adults in the Netherlands. In this manuscript, we describe how we developed an implementation plan for Coach2move in a U.S. population and healthcare system using Implementation Mapping. Methods: We established an implementation planning team of researchers, patients, and clinicians. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research provided an overall structure for consideration of the context for implementation. Implementation Mapping guided the planning process. The implementation planning team worked sequentially through the five tasks of Implementation Mapping (1) Identify needs, program adopters and implementers; (2) Identify adoption and implementation outcomes, performance objectives, determinants, and matrices of change; (3) Choose theoretical models and implementation strategies; (4) Produce implementation protocols; (5) Evaluate implementation outcomes. In this manuscript, we identify our evaluation plan but not results as data collection is ongoing. Results: Clinic managers and physical therapists were identified as program adopters and implementors. Performance objectives necessary steps to achieving implementation outcomes were linked to Coach2Move fidelity indicators with implementation by the physical therapist. These included delivery of person-centered care, motivational interviewing, meaningful goal setting, shared decision-making in planning, and systematic monitoring and follow-up. Determinants linked to these performance objectives included knowledge, outcome expectations, skills and self-efficacy, and perceived norms. Implementation strategies were selected based on a review of methods effective for influencing these determinants. This resulted in four primary strategies (1) educational meetings and dynamic training, (2) peer-assessment meetings, (3) changing the electronic health record template, and (4) reminders and prompts. Measures of intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility will be collected after training and early in implementation. Fidelity and effectiveness measures will be collected over the next 12-months. Conclusion: Implementation mapping provided a systematic process for identifying what physical therapists would need to implement Coach2Move with fidelity. The result was a matrix linking behavioral determinants and performance objectives. These matrices of change allowed for systematic identification and tailoring of implementation strategies to the needs of our population and setting. The process was acceptable to diverse stakeholders, facilitated communication across stakeholders.

BeatPain Utah: study protocol for a pragmatic randomised trial examining telehealth strategies to provide non-pharmacologic pain care for persons with chronic low back pain receiving care in federally qualified health centers.

INTRODUCTION: Although evidence-based guidelines recommend non-pharmacologic treatments as first-line care for chronic low back pain (LBP), uptake has been limited, particularly in rural, low-income and ethnically diverse communities. The BeatPain study will evaluate the implementation and compare the effectiveness of two strategies to provide non-pharmacologic treatment for chronic LBP. The study will use telehealth to overcome access barriers for persons receiving care in federally qualified health centres (FQHCs) in the state of Utah. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: BeatPain Utah is a pragmatic randomised clinical trial with a hybrid type I design investigating different strategies to provide non-pharmacologic care for adults with chronic LBP seen in Utah FQHCs. The intervention strategies include a brief pain consult (BPC) and telehealth physical therapy (PT) component provided using either an adaptive or sequenced delivery strategy across two 12-week treatment phases. Interventions are provided via telehealth by centrally located physical therapists. The sequenced delivery strategy provides the BPC, followed by telehealth PT in the first 12 weeks for all patients. The adaptive strategy uses a stepped care approach and provides the BPC in the first 12 weeks and telehealth PT to patients who are non-responders to the BPC component. We will recruit 500 English-speaking or Spanish-speaking participants who will be individually randomised with 1:1 allocation. The primary outcome is the Pain, Enjoyment and General Activity measure of pain impact with secondary outcomes including the additional pain assessment domains specified by the National Institutes (NIH) of Health Helping to End Addiction Long Initiative and implementation measures. Analyses of primary and secondary measures of effectiveness will be performed under longitudinal mixed effect models across assessments at baseline, and at 12, 26 and 52 weeks follow-ups. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval for the study was obtained from the University of Utah Institutional Review Board. On completion, study data will be made available in compliance with NIH data sharing policies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04923334.

Key Data Elements for Longitudinal Tracking of Physical Function: A Modified Delphi Consensus Study.

OBJECTIVE: Physical function is associated with important outcomes, yet there is often a lack of continuity in routine assessment. The purpose of this study was to determine data elements and instruments for longitudinal measurement of physical function in routine care among patients transitioning from acute care hospital setting to home with home health care. METHODS: A 4-round modified Delphi process was conducted with 13 participants with expertise in physical therapy, health care administration, health services research, physiatry/medicine, and health informatics. Three anonymous rounds identified important and feasible data elements. A fourth in-person round finalized the recommended list of individual data elements. Next, 2 focus groups independently provided additional perspectives from other stakeholders. RESULTS: Response rates were 100% for online rounds 1, 3, and 4 and 92% for round 2. In round 1, 9 domains were identified: physical function, participation, adverse events, behavioral/emotional health, social support, cognition, complexity of illness/disease burden, health care utilization, and demographics. Following the fourth round, 27 individual data elements were recommended. Of these, 20 (74%) are "administrative" and available from most hospital electronic medical records. Additional focus groups confirmed these selections and provided input on standardizing collection methods. A website has been developed to share these results and invite other health care systems to participate in future data sharing of these identified data elements. CONCLUSION: A modified Delphi consensus process was used to identify critical data elements to track changes in patient physical function in routine care as they transition from acute hospital to home with home health. IMPACT: Expert consensus on comprehensive and feasible measurement of physical function in routine care provides health care professionals and institutions with guidance in establishing discrete medical records data that can improve patient care, discharge decisions, and future research.